HaveUHeard

Amazon Studios is celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride Month by giving fans a sneak peek at “Red, White & Royal Blue” ahead of the film’s release this summer.

On Monday, the first images of the hotly anticipated romantic comedy were unveiled, showing actors Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine in character as Alex Claremont-Diaz and Prince Henry, respectively. The movie’s cast also features Uma Thurman as Ellen Claremont, the first female U.S. president.

Based on Casey McQuiston’s 2019 novel, “Red, White & Royal Blue” follows a transatlantic romance between Alex, who is President Claremont’s son, and Henry, a British prince.

The relationship gets off to a rocky start after a very public altercation at a royal wedding, and the pair are forced to attempt a truce in order to do damage control, at least for the international media.

Alex and Henry’s icy demeanor toward one another eventually begins to thaw, and before long, the two are stealing kisses at the White House and on the polo field.

Given the societal expectations of men born into powerful families, however, they decide to keep their courtship a secret, but may be sacrificing their personal happiness in the process.

“Red, White & Royal Blue” is directed by Matthew López, who also co-wrote the film’s screenplay. The writer-director is best known to legions of theater fans for writing the Tony Award-winning 2019 play “The Inheritance.” He also co-wrote the book for Broadway’s current musical adaptation of “Some Like It Hot,” which nabbed four awards at the 2023 Tonys on Sunday.

“I never imagined I’d read a book with a queer Latine character at the center—a character who is smart and passionate and flawed and hopeful,” López told Glamour in an interview published Monday. “I think having this book in my life when I was younger might have made it a little easier. I knew immediately that I wanted to bring it to the screen.”

As for the movie’s lead actors, he added: “Taylor and Nick have an astonishing chemistry together. You could see it from their first audition together. They genuinely liked and trusted each other from the start. And individually they each take these characters and make them their own. I cannot imagine any other actor playing these roles, and I haven’t from the moment I first met them.”

“Red, White & Royal Blue” will be available on Amazon Prime Video on Aug. 11.