Hollywood rejects Liberace biopic for being 'too gay'

[Zaune]

The Guardian

Hollywood studios refused to finance Steven Soderbergh's forthcoming HBO biopic of the flamboyant entertainer Liberace because it was "too gay", the Oscar-winning film-maker has revealed.

Despite the presence of two fellow Academy Award-winners, Michael Douglas and Matt Damon, in the leading roles, executives repeatedly passed on putting up the movie's relatively meagre $5m budget. Titled Behind the Candelabra, Soderbergh's film centres on the relationship between Liberace and his younger long-term lover Scott Thorson, who met when the latter was just 17. The film will screen on the pay-TV channel HBO in the US following Hollywood's lack of interest.

"Nobody would make it. We went to everybody in town," Soderbergh told the Wrap. "We needed $5m. Nobody would do it. They said it was too gay. Everybody. This was after Brokeback Mountain, by the way. Which is not as funny as this movie. I was stunned. It made no sense to any of us."

The Ocean's Eleven director denied being disappointed by the lack of a theatrical release for his film, which is based on Thorson's book Behind the Candelabra: My Life With Liberace. "[HBO are] great and they're really good at what they do, and ultimately I think more people will see it, and that's all you care about," Soderbergh said. "Studios were going: 'We don't know how to sell it.' They were scared." The film-maker said reaction from executives to Behind the Candelabra differed markedly to that received by his low-budget, sex-themed drama The Girlfriend Experience, which successfully achieved a theatrical release despite the presence of porn star Sasha Grey in the lead.

Soderbergh's film, which will screen in the spring, is intended to be his final movie before entering self-imposed retirement. It stars Douglas as Liberace, who spent more than 50 years performing and lived a highly colourful life prior to his death in 1987 from an Aids-related illness. Damon plays Thorson, who famously sued his former lover for $113m in palimony in 1982, claiming he had been the pianist and singer's companion for five years.

Soderbergh also has the thriller Side Effects – starring Channing Tatum, Rooney Mara and Jude Law – due for release in US cinemas in February (March in the UK).

What the hell did they expect when Soderbergh's people phoned up to arrange a time and date to make their pitch? Even if we're charitable and assume that the suits had a problem with the film being full of appalling gay stereotypes, it's a bloody Liberace biopic! Who do you think created the flaming-queen archetype in the first place?

[madd0ct0r]

only $5million?

they could do that on a crowdfunding campaign.

[Themightytom]

Wait but THOSE two??? With THAT director?? Is it possible Hollywood just didn't want to see Liberace's relationship portrayed as overtly as Ace and Gary?

I don't think Michael Douglas and Matt Damon can pull off a convincing homosexual relationship, I don't even think either is particularly good with straight partners, I feel like it would be a shit show for the gay community. This sounds like sour grapes to me, I mean really? We went to everyone and they all said it was too gay? Sure, name names, give quotes or it's all posturing. Hollywood has been fumbling with portrayal lately, when I saw Jay Edgar, it lacked emotional depth, Spoiler

and do we have to mention that face palm in Skyfall?

i think Hollywood should rightfully be concerned with quality control.

[Scrib]

Wait but THOSE two??? With THAT director?? Is it possible Hollywood just didn't want to see Liberace's relationship portrayed as overtly as Ace and Gary?

I don't think Michael Douglas and Matt Damon can pull off a convincing homosexual relationship, I don't even think either is particularly good with straight partners, I feel like it would be a shit show for the gay community. This sounds like sour grapes to me, I mean really? We went to everyone and they all said it was too gay? Sure, name names, give quotes or it's all posturing. Hollywood has been fumbling with portrayal lately, when I saw Jay Edgar, it lacked emotional depth, Spoiler

and do we have to mention that face palm in Skyfall?

i think Hollywood should rightfully be concerned with quality control.

So..let me get this straight...It'd be a worse show for the gay community to see a badly portrayed (according to you) relationship than to hear that studios don't want to put up a movie with a prominent homosexual relationship? I don't even understand the "shit show" part tbh.

As for the comments, I can totally believe this. I can also believe that they didn't name names because they want to have a career after this.

[JLTucker]

Wait but THOSE two??? With THAT director?? Is it possible Hollywood just didn't want to see Liberace's relationship portrayed as overtly as Ace and Gary?

[...]

Hollywood has been fumbling with portrayal lately, when I saw Jay Edgar, it lacked emotional depth, Spoiler

and do we have to mention that face palm in Skyfall?

i think Hollywood should rightfully be concerned with quality control.

You aren't watching the right biopics. Soderbergh could do Liberace justice, just as he did with Che, a biopic about the man's iconic status.

[Themightytom]

So..let me get this straight...It'd be a worse show for the gay community to see a badly portrayed (according to you) relationship than to hear that studios don't want to put up a movie with a prominent homosexual relationship? I don't even understand the "shit show" part tbh.

As for the comments, I can totally believe this. I can also believe that they didn't name names because they want to have a career after this.

Oh hey Scrib I think you dropped this false dilemma here. Just because the director decided to accuse Hollywood of bigotry doesn't mean it was a direct consequence of their decision not to fund the theatrical release of his movie. Believe whatever you want, but there's nothing to prove this is more than sour grapes.

You aren't watching the right biopics. Soderbergh could do Liberace justice, just as he did with Che, a biopic about the man's iconic status.

Fair enough, I'll give Che a try, but I'm still pretty skeptical about the actors.