Jeremy Irvine to Play Dancing Gay Fireman in Ballroom Comedy
"Stonewall" star Jeremy Irvine is set to co-star with Rupert Everett as a gay fireman who burns up the ballroom scene in Chris Cottam's inspired-by-a-true-story comedy "The Light Fantastic."
The Hollywood Reporter detailed that the film "follows Jason (Irvine), a gay firefighter in his 30s who aspires to become a professional ballroom dancer."
"Set in Blackpool, the story chronicles his journey of self-discovery as he challenges ballroom traditions under the watchful eye of his traditional instructor Reynolds (Everett)," the writeup continued.
Irvine, a British actor who starred in "Mama Mia! Here We Go Again," has kept busy since that 2018 hit, appearing in film and television projects that include Sky's 2022 holiday rom-com "This is Christmas" and last year's horror film "Baghead." He was poised to star in a miniseries adaptation of "Green Lantern" that would have featured Alan Scott, an out gay member of the superhero corps, but that Greg Berlanti-led project underwent an overhaul that dropped the gay-inclusive concept before it was axed altogether when James Gunn and Peter Safran took over DC's troubled superhero movie franchise.
Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and Layton Williams are also set to star in the dance flick, which has signed "famed mother-and-son dance duo Mark and Shirley Ballas" as choreographers, THR noted.
Mark Ballas is "a three-time 'Dancing with the Stars' winner," while Shirley Ballas serves as "head judge on the British version of the show 'Strictly Come Dancing,'" THR added.