This weekend, the “Drag Race” universe is increasing and on the point of slay moviegoers with “Stop That Train.”
The catastrophe film parody comes through Bleecker Street Films and World of Wonder, delivering 92 minutes of absurd silliness. Helmed by Adam Shankman and produced by World of Surprise co-founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, the movie stars RuPaul as Madame President Gagwell, who tries to avert a nationwide catastrophe whereas making an attempt to spice up approval rankings.
When a high-speed prepare referred to as the Glamazonian Specific is struck by lightning and hurtles towards catastrophe — a threatening “stormaganza” — the president is put to the check.
Starring alongside RuPaul is a roster of former “Drag Race” contestants. Finest associates Tess (Ginger Minj) and DeeDee (Jujubee) play prepare stewardesses who commerce their dreary shifts on the Stank Rail for the glitzy Glamazonian Specific. Besides they encounter the A-Squad — the Glamazonian Specific model of “Mean Girls” — led by Ayshleiygh (Symone), Alli (Marcia Marcia Marcia) and Amber (Brook Lynn Hytes).
The movie additionally boasts cameos from Nicole Richie, Lisa Rinna, Raven Symone, Matt Rogers and Sarah Michelle Gellar.
“Stop That Train’s” journey to the massive display started 11 years in the past with Bailey and Barbato brainstorming concepts. Nonetheless, because the venture germinated, the pair continued telling tales within the unscripted and documentary area. However the concept for this scripted film was all the time there, and there couldn’t be a greater time for a comedy that doesn’t take itself too critically to hit film theaters.
Bailey says, “We’re living in what seems like a real-life nightmare, and we need laughter.” There’s no scarcity of snickers within the movie, with a script penned by Christina Friel and Connor Wright. Bailey provides, “Laughter is activism, is resistance. If you can laugh in the face of oppression, that’s resistance, and more importantly, it’s fun. President Gagwell, she’s fun.”
Whereas RuPaul is likely to be greatest often called the host of “Drag Race,” Bailey notes that when he and Barbato met Ru within the mid-’80s, “he was making movies, ‘Starbooty.’ Randy and I always knew Ru was a movie star from the very beginning.”
Barbato provides that RuPaul, who can be a producer on the movie, “was built for this. Ru is super efficient when it comes to everything, and it is amazing to watch him act. I’m sure, hundreds of years from now, people will dissect all the micro gestures and be able to pull precisely where and who they came from.”
Because the movie rolled into improvement, Shankman nixed the unique concept of the movie being set on board an airplane, and recommended altering the situation to a prepare. “We can use all the stakes of what happens on an airplane and even the jokes,” Shankman mentioned.
The comedy comes courtesy of the queens and “Drag Race” alumni who effortlessly land their jokes. Bailey doesn’t discover their skill to land jokes stunning. He says, “Drag queens are actors. The moment they hit the runway, walk onto a stage, they’re playing a role.”
The movie was shot on location in Los Angeles, on the identical stage the place “Drag Race” movies. Whereas it took 19 days to shoot, the manufacturing used as much as 200 native crew members, and offered jobs for the area people. It was additionally independently financed.
And regardless that the movie took 10 years, Barbato factors out, “It’s not that dissimilar to the trajectory of ‘Drag Race,’ and trajectory of virtually everything World of Wonder does. It does take time, because most of the stuff we do is fiercely independent.”
“We knew we had very little, and we knew we wanted to make very much,” Barbato says. “This is an indie film in studio drag, and that really is what it is.”
As for what evokes their storytelling and initiatives, Bailey says, “The entire inspiration at World of Wonder really comes from our days in the East Village watching drag shows at the Pyramid with an audience. Whether it’s ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race: Vegas Revue,’ Drag Con, or seeing ‘Drag Race’ in a bar, it’s so much fun to do things with an audience. It’s not just fun — it’s healing. Laughter is medicine, chicken soup for the soul.” He says in jest, “You come out of this movie and your face hurts because you’ve been laughing so much, and that makes a nice change from being punched in the face by the news cycle.”
Barbato admits they liked working within the scripted area. “I think this film might make people feel even more comfortable about our, our secret abilities in this arena,” he says. Might they ever do horror? “I’ve got a few horror ideas,” Bailey teases.
For now, Barbato and Bailey need folks to carry pleasure to audiences. Bailey says he hopes folks will go away “happier than when they came in.”
