Rosario Dawson is (re)living it up…
The 42-year-old Puerto Rican and Afro-Cuban actress will serve as an executive producer on the 2022 GLAAD List script Rosario Dawson Re-Live: A Tale of an American Island Cheerleader.
Last week, it was announced that Re-Live was selected for the 2022 GLAAD List, a curated list of the most promising unmade LGBTQ-inclusive film scripts created by GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, in partnership with The Black List, an annual survey of Hollywood executives’ favorite unproduced screenplays.
In Re-Live: A Tale of an American Island Cheerleader, a transgender Hollywood actress returns to her estranged home island of Guam for her high school reunion’s “do over week,” to live out her childhood dream of becoming a cheerleader. But she discovers a different reunion: family.
In addition to co-writing, starring, and producing, the film will mark Rain Valdez’s feature directorial debut.
“I am thrilled to be a part of this compelling and absolutely necessary story created by the next wave of game-changing filmmakers,” said Dawson. “This isn’t like any other romantic comedy we’ve ever seen before and it’s such a joy for me to platform exciting new voices. I love rom-coms and I can’t believe I finally get to make one!”
Dawson will be joining previously announced Tony– and Grammy-winning executive producer Jhett Tolentino and producers Shant Joshi and Lindsay Blair Goeldner from Fae Pictures, with Valdez, who garnered a Primetime Emmy nomination for her performance in the series she created, Razor Tongue. Dawson is also set to make a cameo in the film.
“I am humbled, honored and grateful that Rosario’s vision of mine and Rachel’s script truly aligns with ours. I just know with Rosario on board, with all her experience and wisdom, we’re all just gonna nail this so hard. I can’t wait to get to work with her!,” Valdez said. “Re-Live is a funny, uplifting, AAPI and trans-empowerment story. It’s also about love and healing. The audience will be able to recognize the invitation to heal, fall in love with our community and our lived experiences. I can’t wait for my team to get to work on it!”
“We are so thrilled to be working with someone as talented, prominent, and active in advocacy as Rosario as we endeavor to produce this film and work towards our mission to decolonize Hollywood,” said Joshi.
Maricel Soriano will be playing Thelma, the loving mother matriarch to Rowena and Rochelle, played by Valdez and Rachel Leyco, respectively. Production is due to get underway in November in Hawai’i and Guam.
Re-Live was selected for Inside Out’s LGBT Finance Forum in 2021 and won the Inside Out Pitch Please! competition in 2019.