Magnolia Pictures Takes French Animated Gay Comedy ‘Jim Queen’ for U.S.

Magnolia Pictures has acquired U.S. rights to Jim Queen, the gay adult animated comedy from directors Marco Nguyen and Nicolas Athané that premiered in the Cannes Film Festival‘s Midnight section.

The distributor is planning a summer theatrical release for its English-language version, featuring a voice cast led by Club Kid actor/director Jordan Firstman alongside Matteo Lane, Nicole Byer, John Cameron Mitchell, Bob the Drag Queen and Wendie Malick. Wolfie Trausch co-directed the English-language version.

“The perfection of this cast is matched only by the outrageousness of this story,” said Magnolia co-CEOs Eamonn Bowles and Dori Begley. “We can’t wait for audiences to experience it this summer.”

Musician Moby served as executive producer on Jim Queen and produced the English-language version alongside Lindsay Hicks for their Little Walnut banner.

The film follows Jim (Firstman), a gay influencer and self-appointed king of the Gym Queens whose carefully cultivated status is upended when a mysterious virus that turns gay men straight, begins spreading through the gay community. Reduced from Pride royalty to social outcast, Jim finds an unlikely ally in Lucien (Lane), a newly-out twink. Together, they set out to find a cure before the virus wipes out the community that once idolized Jim.

Nguyen and Athané co-wrote the script with Simon Balteaux and Brice Chevillard. Jim Queen was produced by French animation studio Bobbypills, whose credits include DC Studios and Warner Bros. Animation’s Creature Commandos, Netflix’s Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix. Co-producers include Umedia, Bobbypills and Timeless Studios.

Alongside Moby and Hicks, executive producers include Katarzyna Janiak and Jacek Świgost for Timeless Studios, Arthur Cohen for Momentum Entertainment and Fabien Westerhoff for Global Constellation, which is also handling international sales.

Magnolia senior vice president of acquisitions John Von Thaden negotiated the U.S. deal with Westerhoff at Global Constellation negotiating on behalf of the filmmakers.

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