Hulu is teaming up with one of the hottest producers in film and television to procude a new original series based on the life of legendary performer RuPaul. Variety reports that J.J. Abrams will bring his visionary talents to the series, tentatively titled Queen. The series will be based somewhat on the true events of RuPaul’s life in 1980’s New York City. Queen is being described as a dramedy and will chronicle RuPaul’s meteoric rise to fame.
RuPaul Andre Charles became a household name during the Reagan administration, first becoming a fixture on the New York nightclub circuit and later scoring national success with the song and music video for “Supermodel (You Better Work).” Since then, RuPaul has become a multifaceted celebrity, fronting a line of cosmetics, hosting hit series and appearing in dozens of films, and becoming an outspoken icon for LGBT populations which for years were marginalized and looked down upon.
RuPaul will produce the series alongside Gary Lennon (Orange is the New Black, Justified), while J.J. Abrams (LOST, Fringe) will serve as executive producer through his award-winning Bad Robot production house. Bad Robot is also producing Castle Rock for Hulu, an anthology series based on the works of best-selling horror novelist Stephen King.
Given J.J. Abrams’ and RuPaul’s track records with award-winning television, it’s likely the show will be a huge success. RuPaul’s gloriously over-the-top drag competition series RuPaul’s Drag Race has become one of the most talked-about series on television, spawning countless memes and occasionally generating headlines due to onset controversies or drama. RuPaul won a Primetime Emmy Award in 2016 for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program for his work on the show, and the series boasts over a dozen other major award nominations and wins.
Queen has yet to be cast and does not yet have a release date, but is expected to appear on Hulu sometime in 2018 or 2019.
