According to Deadline, Emmy-nominated writer, producer and trans activist Our Lady J is writing the pilot, and the studio (New Agency) are committed to casting a transgender actor to portray Gill, a transgender man who owned a massage parlour in Pittsburgh’s criminal underground sex industry in the 70s.
When Rub & Tug was announced for the big screen in 2018, it was marred in controversy due to Black Widow star Scarlett Johansson, a cisgender woman, being cast in the role.
It caused an outcry from the LGBTQ+ community and mainstream media, who questioned why a cisgender actor would be playing Gill when so few transgender actors are able to get roles on the big screen.