The story of a sexy song & homoerotic music video—too hot for ’80s airwaves—is headed to the big screen
Relax, from filmmaker Bernard Rose—who happened to direct the hit song’s original video.The news comes from Deadline, which also reports the biopic has found its lead: Queer actor Callum Scott Howells, who made quite the impression with his first-ever screen role in It’s A Sin.Howells, of course, will play Johnson, the flamboyant frontman of the band, whose 1994 autobiography A Bone In My Flute serves as the basis for the film.
The musician penned the memoir after he was diagnosed with HIV in ’91, believing he would not survive.excited and honoured welcome to the pleasuredome ?
https://t.co/CJ8P6od4v8The actor shared the news on social media, commenting that he’s “excited and honored” to step into the role, welcoming audiences to the “pleasuredome” (a reference to the band’s first album).Frankie Frankly, this is all very exciting.
From the jump, Johnson and his band stirred up controversy and relied heavily on queer and overtly sexual imagery, making them important, boundary-pushing figures for the LGBTQ+ community in the ’80s.For example, in their first major television appearance in the U.K., Frankie Goes To Hollywood performed in fetish wear.
