From Jonathan Bailey’s new film to Nico Keenan’s Olympic comeback, this Wednesday entertainment round-up moves between screen projects, personal turning points and political debate. The stories span Hollywood history, a developing memoir adaptation and public clashes over LGBTQ rights, offering a quick look at the names and themes making headlines.
Essential Takeaways
- Jonathan Bailey is set to star in Insomniac City, an adaptation of Bill Hayes’s memoir about his relationship with Oliver Sacks.
- Mitchell Robertson and Brandon Flynn have been cast as William “Bill” Bast and James Dean in the forthcoming film One Hand Tied.
- Nico Keenan says a supportive relationship helped him continue his international hockey career after he considered quitting.
- Rachel Maddow warns that anti-trans politics can cause lasting harm even when candidates using such rhetoric lose elections.
- Liza Minnelli’s memoir is being developed as a limited television series, with Richard LaGravenese attached as writer and co-executive producer.
Jonathan Bailey’s next role is a later-life love story
The story behind Insomniac City is as much about starting again as falling in love. Out reports that Jonathan Bailey will play writer and photographer Bill Hayes, whose memoir follows his relationship with neurologist Oliver Sacks, played by Bill Nighy. The film traces Hayes’s move from San Francisco to New York, where grief and fresh possibility sit side by side.
Hayes and director Dominic Cooke are adapting the memoir together. Cooke describes the project as intimate in its focus but expansive in scope, with New York itself part of the emotional landscape.
The film is still at an early stage: production has not begun and no release date has been announced. For now, the clearest appeal is the unusual shape of the story, a romance about grief, community and second chances, centred on a relationship that began later in life.
A James Dean story looks beyond the icon
Another forthcoming film turns to a complicated chapter in a famous life. Queerty reports that Scottish actor Mitchell Robertson will play William “Bill” Bast in One Hand Tied, with Brandon Flynn attached as James Dean. The film is based on Bast’s memoir, which recounts his alleged romantic relationship with Dean.
The project, directed by Guy Guido, was previously known as Willie and Jimmy Dean. Robertson’s earlier work includes A Very British Scandal, Harvest, Curfew and Half Man; the report says his performance in the latter helped him secure the part.
There’s no confirmed production start date, and Bast’s mother has yet to be cast. The film’s perspective comes from Bast’s memoir, so its account of the relationship is rooted in his telling. Robertson has described the script as a tender story that looks past Dean’s public image towards the person behind it.
Nico Keenan found support when hockey felt too heavy
Nico Keenan came close to giving up international hockey after the Tokyo Olympics, according to Outsports. The Argentine player says he’d put intense pressure on himself, suppressing his emotions and feeling he had to appear straight to pursue his ambitions. After Argentina reached the quarter-finals, he experienced a difficult emotional crash and considered ending his Olympic career.
In an interview on the Be Nice podcast, Keenan said his relationship with Dutch politician Rob Jetten helped him feel safe enough to take a different approach. Knowing Jetten and his family would stand by him helped him decide to come out to loved ones and keep playing.
Keenan went on to represent Argentina at Paris 2024 and the 2026 Men’s Hockey World Cup. Outsports reports that he became the first openly gay or bisexual player to compete in the men’s tournament. The couple are now engaged and expecting a child, while Keenan hopes to compete again as Argentina pursues qualification for the 2028 Olympics. His story is a reminder that support off the pitch can matter just as much as ambition on it.
Rachel Maddow says election losses don’t erase harm
A candidate losing an election doesn’t automatically undo the damage of anti-trans politics, Rachel Maddow argues. The Advocate reports that Maddow made the point on the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast, warning that hostility directed at a small minority can have serious consequences for transgender Americans.
Maddow also pointed to anti-trans ballot measures that passed in several states. Her concern, as reported by The Advocate, is that blaming minorities for wider frustrations can encourage people to see their neighbours as less deserving of protection.
She has called for sustained civic engagement through elections, courts, protest and professional responsibilities. It’s a broader argument than simply whether a particular campaign succeeds: political rhetoric, policy and the everyday climate for vulnerable people can all remain consequential after polling day.
More headlines: Rosie O’Donnell and Liza Minnelli
Rosie O’Donnell publicly rebuked Megyn Kelly over Kelly’s comments about Russell Brand’s conviction and sentence, Just Jared reports. O’Donnell encountered the remarks after comedian D. L. Hughley shared an image of them on Threads. The item focuses on the social-media exchange, rather than offering a detailed account of the criminal proceedings.
Meanwhile, Liza Minnelli’s memoir Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! is being developed as a limited television series. Just Jared reports that Oscar-nominated writer Richard LaGravenese has joined as writer and co-executive producer. The book covers Minnelli’s upbringing, career, marriages and recovery, among other parts of her life.
The series remains in development, with no cast, production schedule or premiere date announced. Minnelli has spoken about wanting to share her experiences and reduce stigma around addiction and recovery, giving the project a purpose beyond revisiting a celebrated career.
Closing Line
From intimate screen stories to public reckonings, this round-up shows how personal lives can carry a wider cultural charge.
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