A sequel to the 1999 indie hit, “ Trick,” is slated to hit theaters 20 years after the original left an indelible imprint on a generation of gay men.
Directed by Jim Fall, “Trick” ― which starred Christian Campbell, J. P. Pitoc and Tori Spelling ― broke ground by featuring two gay men as romantic leads well before “Brokeback Mountain,” “Love, Simon” and other queer-inclusive films were embraced by Hollywood.
The movie follows aspiring Broadway composer Gabriel (Campbell), who spots go-go dancer Mark (Pitoc) in a gay bar and, later, on the New York subway. Together, the two men traverse Manhattan in search of a place to consummate their relationship, encountering Gabriel’s struggling actress pal, Katherine (Spelling), and legendary drag queen Miss Coco Peru along the way.
(Watch the “Trick” trailer above.)
Fall, who went on to direct 2003’s “The Lizzie McGuire Movie” as well as two episodes of Spelling’s 2006 series, “So NoTORIous,” announced his plans for a sequel in a Facebook post on Aug. 2. The new film, he wrote, is aiming for a 2019 release to honor the 20th anniversary of the original.
“Script is written, doing a reading with the cast soon,” Fall noted in the comments beneath the post, adding, “Raising the money to make it all happen!!!”
Fall didn’t offer further details on the sequel, but included a teaser image that showed both the New York and Los Angeles skylines, suggesting the new film might be at least partly West Coast-based.
Among those tagged in Fall’s post was Miss Coco Peru, who retweeted two earlier articles about the sequel this week.
Actor-comedian Jimmy Fowlie of the web series “Go-Go Boy Interrupted” and the off-Broadway “La-La Land” spoof “So Long, Boulder City,” also confirmed his involvement in the movie on social media.
“It is a full-circle moment because I saw the original when I was 12 years old,” Fowlie wrote on Facebook. “It was the first time I saw a story about two gay characters ― when being ‘gay’ was still taboo and you only ever got to watch straight people fall in love.”
There’s no word yet if Campbell, Pitoc or Spelling will return for the sequel. In 2014, however, all three stars expressed interest in reprising their roles if a follow-up was ever made.
Campbell envisioned “Trick” becoming a “Before Sunrise”-like trilogy, while Pitoc told The Backlot, “I think that [Gabriel and Mark] would stay together and they’d have kids.”
As for her character, Spelling said, “I always saw her still wedging her way into Gabe’s relationship ― even offering to be a surrogate for them while she does a one-woman musical on ‘Mommie Dearest.’ That’s my fantasy!”
