Ian McKellen has got a new project. Alongside with Vicious producer Gary Reich and The Brooklyn Brothers agency founder Jackie Stevenson, he is planning a series of four short films – under the banner LGBT Heroes – made by and about the LGBT community. THR reports that they’re hoping to get top notch filmmakers and actors involved in the initiative.
While Facebook has already stepped forward to partner with the film series and stream the first movie, McKellen is looking for other brands and broadcasters to help with some of the other films. The actor has previously resisted working with brands in his career, saying of Coca-Cola’s Dasani water’s attempt to recruit him for its British launch, he says, “I thought, ‘I can’t. I feel I’m selling my soul, and my soul is worth more than this.'”
However, he thinks it makes sense for this project, partly because of how brands have been supporting the LGBT community. “I’ve been impressed with gay rights all over the world, how much commerce wants to be involved,” McKellen says, “Hollywood, to crudely sum it up, has tended to deal with fantasy, tended to deal with escape. Branding has to be up to date otherwise. [Brands] come up with a response to the world as it really is. It’s a much different approach to anything that Hollywood would do.”
They are hoping to get directors Wachowskis and Tom Ford to direct two of the four films, while McKellen will appear on at least one of them, with other currently unknown actors also attached.
Those behind the project want those interested in getting involved – including brands, actors, broadcasters and anyone else with ideas – to contact them via LGBTheroes.info.
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