With transgender characters and themes growing more prevalent in TV and film, the upcoming biopic The Danish Girl, starring Eddie Redmayne as one of the first known recipients of gender realignment surgery, isn’t just a part of a fad, according to one of its co-producers.
While trans characters are all over the place in 2015, a Lili Elbe biopic has been in the works for some time, and Tom Hooper’s film is lucky to be a part of what has grown into a trend in entertainment.
“It’s just one of those good pieces of zeitgeist and good fortune,” co-chair of Working Title Tim Bevan tells The Hollywood Reporter ahead of the film’s premiere. “It’s something that Tom Hooper had on his radar for some time, but the timing couldn’t have been better.”
Lili Elbe was one of the first known men to undergo sex reassignment surgery in the 1930s.
The film is an adaptation of the 2000 novel by the same name, and follows Lili’s journey as a transgender pioneer.
As transgender issues remain at the forefront of a Hollywood obsession, Bevan says the timing of the film’s release could mean a huge turnout at the box office.
“A whole lot of education (on transgender issues) has gone on that film doesn’t have to do,” he said.
The Danish Girl’s world premiere will take place on Saturday at the Venice Film Festival, and is set for limited release on Nov. 27.
Redmayne’s character will join a slew of other transgender characters to debut in recent years, including Jeffrey Tambor, Bruce Jenner, and Laverne Cox.