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March
2004
By
Dyan Mason
What's
this? Rob Tapert is in cohoots to produce a full length
Xena Movie?
Of course he is!
Long
before there was The L Word and Will and Grace, lesbian and
gay audiences were titliated and teased with the sometimes
serious, sometimes campy syndication television show, "Xena
The Warrior Princess". The lesbian subtext was so strong
and blatent in the series that debate sparked the internet
like a fury. Within the second season it became extremely
obvious that the two main female characters Xena and Gabriel
were falling deeply and passionately in love. The storyline
played out naturally and while Tapert appeased all audiences
by only insinuating their passion for each other (much like
Thelma and Louise), lesbians were over joyed while more conservatives
were puzzled. This lesbian has to ask, how could anyone
have been confused? The two characters kissed and they kissed
fairly often.
Today
when we look back at gays and lesbians in the media, Xena
TWP does not even remotely receive the recognition that it
should.
When
Xena TWP went off the air in 1999 while still very much so
in its Hey Day and was the most wildly successful syndication
television show, second only to Star Trek. Why would they
NOT want to make Xena into a Movie? Of course they would,
it will make a killing at the box office.
While
Tapert pursue's the rights to produce a Xena Full Length Feature
Movie, Xena fans all over the world bombard the internet much
like they did eight years ago. Debates over Xena's very
direct lesbian subtext has resparked passion in opposing sides
once again as Xena script writer Katherine Fugate becomes
the center of attention.
There are several issue's pending.
First
and foremost, will the movie be made in the first place?
There
are several different rumors floating around the internet....
From they have signed Lucy Lawless and Renee
O'conner to reprise their roles as Xena and Gabriel and are
ready to begin filming to the rights to produce the
film have not yet been resolved. The politics revolved
around the rights are the stumbling block.
Then
just last month Lucy Lawless (aka Xena) commented on the thought,
"I have warmed to that idea but nobody knows who technically
owns the rights. My feeling is that if it doesn't happen soon,
I will be too old and people won't buy me in that role. I
think Xena should live again whether I am playing her or someone
else. She has a lot of lives in her".
Renee
O'Conner and Lucy Lawless in February 2004
as
Lawless dons a wig and padding to play a joke on her fans!
Then
there is Katherine Fugate's direct quotes which indicate she
has already begun working on a script for Rob Tapert,
"Because of his work done in securing the rights, he
has received my commitment to write the movie".
" We all plan to achieve our goal. or we
wouldn't be investing our time and money into this venture.
period " This is where Fugate instantly became the
center of attention. Fans from all over the world have
overloaded her email with script idea's, many opposing the
lesbian subtext. So much so, that she was compelled to respond
HERE
So,
this LBO writer predicts absolutely there will be a Movie
about Xena....
the
real question is WHEN?
Lingering
questions:
How
is Fugate going to resurrect Xena from the dead?
The
ending certainly came at a price with the violent beheading
and killing of Xena, which drew offense to many. Lesbian hearts
were breaking all over the world as Gabriel was left alone
to fight for good.
What
about the lesbian subtext?
Fugate and Tapert are not dummies. Quite possibly, one of
the biggest reasons Xena was so successful, (even more successful
than Hercules the original show it was a spin off from), was
the intiquing intense relationship between the women. My guess
is that not only will there be subtext, but considering this
is going to becoem a Movie, the relationship will be fully
revealed and saphhic Xena fans will get more than our fix!
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