Gus Van-Sant: Last News

Variety announced today that New Queer Cinema trailblazer Gus Van Sant (My Own Private Idaho, Milk) has come on board as a producer for upcoming “psychosexual thriller” Antinous, named after ancient Roman emperor Hadrian’s young lover.The feature directorial debut from artist & photographer Stuart Sandford, the film will be a modern-day drama about a young actor who is convinced he’s the reincarnation of Antinous, telling a story that “bridges the grandeur of ancient Rome with Hollywood’s obsession with youth, beauty and immortality.” We’re in!It’s an especially rich source for Van Sant, Sandford, and their team to draw from for a film: Sure, there are precious few details about the real-life Antinous, and his life was cut tragically—and mysteriously—short, but his legacy looms large in history.Subscribe to our newsletter for your front-row seat to all things entertainment with a sprinkle of everything else queer.Little is known about Antinous’s origin, but it’s believed he lived in Bythnia, the far eastern reaches of the Roman Empire, and was possibly as young as 11 when he first met Hadrian, who was in his 40s.Over the years, historians have offered up opposing theories about his background—that possibly he was a slave, or a prince, or possibly an illegitimate son of the emperor himself. But one thing pretty much all experts can agree on was that he possessed a striking beauty, which is certainly what caught Hadrian’s eye.Now, if you’re a regular reader of Queerty, we’re sure we don’t have to tell you that, during this time, it was not uncommon for men to sleep with other men, and especially for those in power to take up a much younger male lover.