Steven Soderbergh: All studios rejected Liberace film for being ‘too gay’
Oscar winning film director, Steven Soderbergh, director of an upcoming film about American pianist, Liberace, has said that it was not scheduled to have a theatrical release because film studios turned it down for being “too gay.”
Mr Soderbergh, director of the upcoming film, Behind the Candelabra, starring Michael Douglas as Liberace, and Matt Damon as his younger lover, said the film would be aired on TV channel, HBO, because film studios wouldn’t make it, reported The Wrap.
“Nobody would make it. We went to everybody in town… We needed $5 million (£3,075,000). Nobody would do it,” he said.
He expressed his surprise at the fact that no film studio would pay for the film which features such high-profile actors. He continued:
“They said it was too gay. Everybody. This was after ‘Brokeback Mountain,’ by the way. Which is not as funny as this movie. I was stunned. It made no sense to any of us.”
The director of Oceans 11, and Traffic, said he was glad that the film would be shown on HBO. and said:
“They’re great and they’re really good at what they do, and ultimately I think more people will see it, and that’s all you care about,” he continued. “Studios were going, ‘We don’t know how to sell it. They were scared.'”
Steven Soderbergh has said that he will retire after the film is shown on HBO in spring.
