In an instant when the existence of intersex people is under siege – and in an American administration bent just to acknowledge two sex – “Hästbo“Still feels Timelier now than when it first premiered at Sundance 2024.
“There is no role model that I have to look up to other than other incredible trans- or queer creators, but for intersex people it has not happened yet,” star/writer River gallo told indifire. “To be groundbreaking in the fact, I don’t know, it’s just scary and emotionally.”
Indiewire captured Gallo and star Dylan O’Brien before Neo-Noir-Thriller’s New York City premiere on June 24. “(Director) Esteban Arango came first, and we wanted to get someone who had experience,” Gallo told IndieWire when he asked what got Arango and Dylan O’Brien on board.
“At that time I was” I want to direct this “, but it was the first time I led a function, so I (wanted) to focus on anchoring my performance, first and foremost,” continued Gallo. “He had only one way to strategize how to visually represent all the different stories that were told-the type of New Jersey cruelty, the amazing dream-like quality in Ponyboi’s mind, and he was just such an incredibly loving and caring person. When we found actor for Vinnie, it was actually one of my bosses that struck the Dylan.” My managers who beat Dylan, and it’s crazy “gallo went to O’BR” because everyone was. ” The two laughed before O’Brien said sarcastically, “I haven’t heard this before from any filmmaker.”
“It worked to my advantage because I just felt it was like a friend,” Gallo continued. “As a first time filmmaker and actor, it just made me feel so calm. Dylan’s love and care and passion for the movie, for my vision, for me, for the intersex community, for queer people-it was an immediate click and one that I feel so blessed and happy that Dylan said yes.”
After a drug agreement that goes sour, Gallo’s character Ponyboi is forced to run from New Jersey Mob. With both stars from Jersey themselves, “The Sopranos” affected the story?
“Of course,” Gallo said. “It’s funny for in ‘The soprano‘Bada Bing Club was shot outside the Strip Club that I would drive every day to go to the mall. It is actually Satin Dolls Club in real life. In to do filmI started looking at “The Sopranos” for the first time. What an incredible show. It’s the Jersey representation. “
In the case of other influences, David Lynch have been in the mixture, with O’Brien carrying one “Twin Peaks” T-shirt during our interview. Lana del Reys ‘Ride’ -music video Will also think about. I asked if this sigh was correct. “It was on my mood board, it’s like you see my soul,” Gallo said.
“The real intention of the movie was just to make me feel that I was in a Lana music video,” they continued. “It’s perfect. Lana’s work is another.” We tied the moment in Bruce Springsteen of everything, where Gallo and Murray Bartlett’s character sing a cover of their “Pony Boy” in the film. “(Lana) talks about Bruce Springsteen being influential in her work and, you know, she even refers Bruce Springsteen in the song ‘American.’ She sings, ‘Springsteen is the king, don’t you think?’ ”
When it comes to O’Brien, he comes fresh from two back-to-back turns at Sundance, first with this movie, and most recently with “Twinless”, which premiered in January. In the lead role in two queer stories just one year intervals, we asked the actor exactly what he is looking for when he signs up for new projects. “I’m looking for originality. I’m looking for new voices and filmmakers that I want to be a part of supporting and promoting,” he said.
“If I can challenge myself as an actor and find things I haven’t done before, I feel that type covers it,” he continued. These were two projects that type of controlled all these boxes. It’s like an intangible energy cooking too, as well, the energy felt right. You go with your gut at some point. I try not to think about things. These two projects in particular have been and will be two of the most special projects in my career. I’m so happy that I was happy enough for them to get to my way. “
This movie has been in works for almost a decade, and Gallo is so happy for people to finally get the chance to see what they have long worked with. “I hope people see in the movie that you don’t have to be a perfect version of yourself, or that you don’t have to have everything figured out yet,” they said. “You can be as bold as who you are in the moment, even with the things you are still calculating. I’m so proud of this movie. We’re right now in the Queer cinema, and I think” twinless “does this incredibly, where we really drive the boundaries of what a queer story is.”
Intersex stories are rare onscreen, and gallo hopes the movie shifts the needle on representation, saying now is the time to “have an intersex person lead a movie, a story, a narrative, the resolution of what i was aiming towards in the conclusion of ‘ Messy, It’s Still Unclear. To This Day, I Don’t Feel Complely Certain About My Gender. In the Happen To Look At Present How I am right now, but I’m just very adapted to the fact that I as an intersex person who lacks so much visibility in many ways.
They added, “I just feel that I had no choice but to replace that door, because it will make so many people, not just intersex people, but everyone who has felt that they are just not sure who they are. I feel it is a very human and universal history. I think so many intersex people still can not see themselves in the culture.
Earlier this year, O’Brien wrapped Sam Raimis Survival horror movie “Send help.” “I can’t wait to see it, it’s a crazy swing,” he said. “It’s a version of these boxes that I like to control when it comes to originality and new aspects in a studio space, which I thought was really exciting. With Sam, how few and far between his director is when he decides to go back to that chair, I found really exciting. And Rachel (Mcadams) (she is) (she is) (she ride. ”
Raimi has, of course, directed several films set up and next door Marvel Cinematic Universe, most recently with “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” Would O’Brien ever want to join MCU? “I mean, listen, I’m always like changing too, so maybe in a decade or two. But from this moment now I guess my answer would be that I have some interest in dabling in that space.”
“Ponyboi” is based on actor/writer Gallos card 2019 filmWho won the New York Short Jury Grand Prize at Newfest31. Gallo recalls the title role for the functional adaptation, which Gallo also writes and produces together with director Esteban Arango and co -stars Dylan O’BrienVictoria Pedretti, Murray Bartlett and Indya Moore.
“Ponyboi” premieres in theaters on June 27 from Fox Entertainment Studios Time Line Banner.
