Granny Lee, the South African transgender nightlife legend who defined Johannesburg’s 1980s disco scene, will be getting her moment on the big screen in a new biopic set to begin production in April 2025, according to a report in Variety.
Starring South African actress, artist, and poet Soli Philander and executive produced by Alexandra Billings, the project — currently titled Granny Lee — portrays the role the icon played in the country’s trans history. Per production company Fae Pictures, the narrative feature will follow Granny Lee through 1980s Johannesburg in the midst of Apartheid and the HIV/AIDS epidemic as she leads a “gay boy’s revenge-driven mother” through the city’s queer and trans nightlife scene.
The film might be a zany, partially fictional buddy comedy but the story behind the character of Granny Lee is real. In her actual life, as Variety noted, Granny Lee was a “white-passing,” transfemme icon in Johannesburg’s queer and trans community who was known for her bold costumes and makup. She was known as one of the city’s most famous drag artists and nightlife connoisseurs, boldly defying the laws of Apartheid-era South Africa.
After participating in the Film London Production Finance Market at this year’s BFI London Film Festival financing event, the project is officially entering production in spring 2025. The film will be directed by father-son directing team, The Gabriels (Ian and Gabe Gabriel), and will be produced by Billings’ production company, Schmengie, Inc.
The Gabriels’ previous film, Runs in the Family told the story of a queer family road trip and was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award in 2023. Granny Lee joins a growing canon of portrayals of the trans icons who birthed LGBTQ+ nightlife and the queer liberation movement, including Pose and Veneno.
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