Hunter Schafer discusses the trans movies she would love to see
Every decade or so, a TV series will come along that defines a generation, with 1999s Freaks and Geeks heralding the arrival of Linda Cardellini, Jason Segel and Seth Rogen, whilst 2007s Skins brought Nicholas Hoult, Jack O’Connell and Daniel Kaluuya. Most recently, it is HBO’s teen drama Euphoria that has proved to be the most culturally pertinent, with the likes of Zendaya, Hunter Schafer and Sydney Sweeney emerging as future stars.
Of the stars featured in the show, Schafer is one of many who has found significant success outside of the series, with the model, actress, and LGBTQ rights activist becoming a prominent cultural figure. Following her turn as Jules Vaughn in Euphoria, as well as a small voice role in Belle: The Dragon and the Freckled Princess, Schafer is next lining up the lead role in Tilman Singer’s horror Cuckoo and the prequel film The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
Taking place approximately 64 years before the events of the original film, and novel written by Suzanne Collins, the story will feature an 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth), yet to become the threatening President shown in the original movies. Schafer will take the role of Tigris Snow, Coriolanus’s cousin and confidante, in the new movie. Sure to be a villainous character, Tigris will be advising her cousin on his next deceptive move, manipulating his decisions and core morals.
Sitting down with The A24 Podcast and the musician Lorde, Schafer, who is a trans woman herself, discussed the kind of LGBTQ stories she’d like to see in modern cinema, citing various genres and forms of filmmaking.
“So many things,” Schafer stated, adding: “In general, I think the closest thing I have to a spiritually is like, I believe in people writing frequencies or being in tune with certain frequencies based off their experience or whatever. Whatever that means”.
Continuing, she speaks about the appeal of trans girls’ stories and voices: “But I feel like there’s specific frequencies that trans girls in particular, like I can hear it in their music. I can see it in the style, there’s an aesthetic and a sound. I think that’s something that I really wanna keep trying to portray properly as I keep getting into directing, producing and writing, because it’s delicious”.
In addition to seeing such actors and creatives on and behind the camera, Schafer also explains that she wants to see projects “with budget. Like, good CGI budget. Like a Marvel level, CGI yumminess that it deserves”. Aside from these prospective big-budget projects, the actor also adds, “I really just wanna see a trans girl love story too. Two trans girls. That’s not a thing really in movies, yet”.
Schafer’s latest projects, Cuckoo and the Hunger Games prequel, are both due for release in 2023, with the latter expected to be a major cinematic event.
