Director of new gay rom-com says he wanted to make a Valentine’s Day film ‘queer boys wouldn’t have to translate’
Freeform/Parrish Lewis
Screenwriter and director of queer rom-com The Thing About Harry Peter Paige has said that he wanted to make a romantic comedy that queer boys “wouldn’t have to translate.”
The film, which will air on Freeform for Valentine’s Day, stars Jake Borelli, Niko Terho and Karamo Brown.
“I spent so much time translating straight rom-coms for my own consumption that I wanted to make a movie that queer boys wouldn’t have to translate,” Paige told NBC News.
“When I was in my 20s, I was in big cities dating and getting my heart broken… The greatest heartbreak of my life was when two of my friends got together and I was in love with one of them,” he said.
Queer film The Thing About Harry borrows from classic rom-coms.
Elsewhere in the interview, Paige said that rom-coms run in his blood. He said the film borrows from classics of the genre such as My Best Friend’s Wedding, Pretty Woman and While You Were Sleeping.
He decided to make Harry pansexual in the film, saying it shows “how people of this generation are talking about sexuality today.”
I spent so much time translating straight rom-coms for my own consumption that I wanted to make a movie that queer boys wouldn’t have to translate.
“I was like, ‘Oh, well that creates a different playing field and provides some real opportunities for twists and turns that we hadn’t seen before.'”
The Thing About Harry follows Sam, a young, handsome, funny and intelligent gay man who was badly bullied after he came out as gay in his small Missouri town. Tehro plays pansexual love interest Harry, who enjoys hooking up with guys but secretly yearns for stability.
Karamo Brown plays ‘overbearing and pretentious’ gay man Paul.
When details of the film emerged late last year, Borelli shared a video of himself and Terho in which he declared: “Guys we’re doing a rom-com!”
Queer Eye’s Karamo Brown will star in The Thing About Harry as an “overbearing and pretentious” gay man called Paul. He is joined by Glow’s Britt Baron, who plays Sam’s best friend, and director Paige will also star as Sam’s roommate.
In a joint statement to Deadline late last year, producers Paige, Greg Gugliotta and F.J. Denny said they have been honoured to make television with LGBT+ lead characters.
“True equality can only be achieved when you see yourself reflected in the movies, music and stories that paint our culture,” they said.
