ET has the exclusive first listen to the Spotify original podcast featuring Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Rosie O'Donnell and more.
Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice is about to get a queer twist thanks to Zackary Grady, who created, directed and wrote the all-new fictional podcast, Gay Pride & Prejudice. Ahead of the Spotify original’s premiere, ET has the exclusive first trailer, which is narrated by executive producer Jesse Tyler Ferguson and features a vocal cameo by Rosie O’Donnell.
According to Spotify, the series ”is a fresh, modern interpretation of the beloved Jane Austen classic. In the series, Bennet, a 30-something non-committal gay man, struggles to find belonging when his chosen family suddenly begins coupling up and settling down.”
“Gay Pride & Prejudice is a joyful and hilarious story about love and chosen family. Justin [Mikita] and I have been such a fan of Zackary's writing and are so proud to see this story come to life in audio,” Ferguson, who was recently nominated for his first Tony Award, tells ET, referring to his husband, who is also an executive producer on the podcast.
Grady, who originally developed this project for the stage before adapting it for audio, says, “I’ve essentially had two creative paths running parallel to one another for the past decade; writing scripts and directing immersive-audio theater. To finally have those two disciplines come together on Gay Pride & Prejudice and work with Jesse, Justin, the Spotify/Gimlet team, and this insane cast is an absolute dream come true.”
“The goal of our show was to maintain the heart of the classic story while finding a way to make it as dynamic and nuanced as possible for the audio format,” he continues. “Oh, and don’t worry, if you haven’t read the book since high school you’ll still love it, but I do think Austen fans are gonna lose their minds over how faithful we are to the original.”
In addition to Ferguson and O’Donnell, the voice cast includes Blake Lee, Marisol Sacramento, Matthew Risch, Maulik Pancholy, Ronald Peet, Rhys Nicholson, Sherry Cola, Vella Lovell and Javier Muñoz. The series will also be presented at the 2022 Tribeca Festival, with a panel featuring the cast and creators on June 13.
The latest adaptation of Austen’s work, meanwhile, should not be confused with the Hulu original movie, Fire Island, written by and starring Joel Kim Booster. The film is also a retelling of Pride & Prejudice with a gay perspective and features an all-LGBTQ cast, including Bowen Yang, Conrad Ricamora and Margaret Cho.
Gay Pride & Prejudice premieres May 25 exclusively for free on Spotify.
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