'Fire Island' Puts An Asian-Led LGBTQ Spin On 'Pride And Prejudice'
Pride and Prejudice has taken many different forms on screen. You probably think back to the 2005 Keira Knightley version first, if not the 1995 series starring Colin Firth. More recent iterations have gotten a lot looser about the source material, granting us gems like Bridget Jones' Diary or just getting plain weird, by throwing the classic characters into a world full of zombies. And as wildly different as each of the existing adaptations are, there's always room at the top for more!
Searchlight Pictures recently announced the latest edition to the Pride and Prejudice collection – the Joel Kim Booster-written, Andrew Ahn-directed Fire Island. This film is described as a modern gay take on the classic story. Fire Island is set on the legendary LGBTQ friendly island, centering on two best friends who take a week-long summer vacation to get wasted and find love.
With the help of cheap rosé and an eclectic group of equally crazy friends, their vacation is guaranteed to be legendary. Booster also stars in a leading role, alongside Saturday Night Live's Bowen Yang and All-American Girl's Margaret Cho. As if the premise isn't promising enough, the film sees these three experienced comedians teaming up, adding to the hilarity of Booster's script. It's safe to assume that the comedy side of this rom-com will be at the forefront of the film, given just how many comedic voices are in the mix.
Fire Island also stars Conrad Ricamora, James Scully, Matt Rogers, Tomas Matos, Torian Miller, Nick Adams, Zane Phillips, Michael Graceffa, Aidan Wharton, Peter Smith, and Bradley Gibson.
What To Expect From Fire Island
You might recognize director Andrew Ahn as the filmmaker behind the 2016 Sundance favorite, Spa Night. Ahn's debut follows a closeted Korean-American teenager struggling to contend with his sexuality, conservative family, and rigid community. Ahn most recently directed the 2019 film Driveways, which premiered at Tribeca Film Festival. Of this upcoming film, Ahn said:
"I'm thrilled to be working with the immensely talented cast and crew of Fire Island, a film that celebrates a chosen family with so much heart and humor. I'm eager for audiences to experience the magic of Fire Island, from dancing in your underwear with your best friends to falling in love."
I for one am curious to see where the Pride and Prejudice of it all come in. They're certainly injecting the story with the many important values of the modern age: acceptance, found family, and getting drunk in your underwear. But it'll be interesting to see what they take from the classic novel and which themes they continue to explore. If we've learned anything from the many adaptations of the past, it's that love always finds a way — whether the obstacles are money, pride, zombies, or just staying sober enough to admit you're in love with someone.
Joel Kim Booster and Jillian Vogel serve as executive producers, with other producers Tony Hernandez, John Hodges, and Brooke Posch. Upon release, Fire Island will stream exclusively on Hulu.