Usually found sending alien invasions, wretched weather or earthquakes against civilization on screen, Roland Emmerich does occasionally make room for passion projects, and Stonewall certainly counts. The first trailer for the drama has arrived online.
Stonewall uses the fictional figure of Danny (Jeremy Irvine) to tell the very real story of the Stonewall Inn and the role it played in helping to kick off the battle for gay rights in 1960s New York. Danny is kicked out of his small town home by his parents, leaving behind younger sister Phoebe (Joey King). Homeless and penniless, he makes friends with a group of street kids who introduce him to the Stonewall Inn, a hangout for the local LGBT community. There, Danny catches the eye of the suave Trevor (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and also attracts interest from the joint’s manager, Ed Murphy (Ron Perlman).
Ed’s a shady type who colludes with corrupt cops, exploits the homeless like Danny and is even suspected of having some of them vanish from the streets, never to be seen again. When the police unexpectedly raid the inn, events spiral out of control and a movement for equality is born from the chaos.
This one will be watched closely for its treatment of the events, but with playwright and screenwriter Jon Robin Baitz behind the script, hopefully Emmerich has learned the lessons of Anonymous, which played fast and loose with history. Stonewall will arrive in US cinemas on September 25 after a premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier in the month. It doesn’t appear to have a UK release date yet.