Rachel Dratch, Bianca Del Rio & More Set For HURRICANE BIANCA Sequel

Cranium Entertainment, BLKBX Originals, and Matt Kugelman are thrilled to announce the infamously fabulous Bianca Del Rio is back to fight evil as she reprises her highly acclaimed role in the next installment of the popular Hurricane Bianca franchise.

The third film, Hurricane Bianca: The Roots Of All Evil, will star all of the most popular drag queen favorites from the previous two films including Season Six Drag Race winner, world renowned drag queen and comic Bianca Del Rio (Roy Haylock) and famed Drag Race contestant, actor and singer/songwriter, Willam Belli (A Star Is Born, Nip/Tuck).

Tony nominee Rachel Dratch (Wine Country, Just Go With It, Saturday Night Live) returns as the villainous Vice Principal Debbie Ward, and Doug Plaut (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, The Sixth Reel) reprises his role as Bianca's ditzy friend, Rex.

New additions to the sequel film are critically acclaimed actress, Thora Birch (Ghost World, The Walking Dead), who will be playing the role of the mesmerizing cult leader, Mary. Drag Race contestant fan favorite and viral sensation Vanessa Vanjie A.K.A. "Miss Vanjie" is playing the role of Bianca's cousin, Antonio. Additional casting is underway. The film is written and directed by Matt Kugelman and will begin principal photography in early 2023.

Both of the previous films, Hurricane Bianca (which also starred Alan Cumming and RuPaul) and Hurricane Bianca: From Russia With Hate (which also starred Wanda Sykes and Jeaneane Garofalo), both premiered on Netflix to critical acclaim. Hurricane Bianca: From Russia With Hate was the #5 most downloaded independent film on iTunes and the #1 LGBTQ film on Amazon in 2018, and named "The funniest movie of the year" by Entertainment Weekly.

In this next feature film installment, Richard Martinez (Haylock) returns home to Florida for his beloved grandmother's funeral. He is lured back into a decades-old feud with his mother who owns a homophobic fast-food chain restaurant, and he decides to go undercover as Bianca Del Rio to put his mother out of business. With the help of his chosen family, he embarks on a hilarious adventure exposing corruption, confronting cults and healing relationships.

"I'm so excited to be working with this dream team. Bianca is back! Willam is back! And I am elated to introduce Miss Vanjie into Bianca's family. These are the funniest people I've ever met playing these incredibly lovable characters, and then we get to add the amazing Thora Birch into the mix as we've never seen her before: An eccentric villain! I cannot wait to share this adventure with the world!" said Kugelman.

"Hurricane Bianca fans around the world will be pleased with this hilarious and timely sequel that is both commercially viable and continually stays true to its core messaging and artistic integrity. Today's audiences are ready to embrace films that bridge the gap between mainstream and LGBTQ markets. The late Ash Christian who produced the first two films, was always a champion of LGBTQ filmmakers and believed in Matt Kugelman's vision and talent from day one. Ash will be deeply missed during this next journey and he is always with us in spirit," said producer Kimberly Montini of Cranium Entertainment.

"Audiences from all over the world will connect with this film, being a universal beacon of light for anyone facing adversity. As a big fan of Hurricane Bianca films, this new sequel raises the bar to new heights. We couldn't be more excited to kickstart BLKBX Originals' endeavors with a film people from all over can relate to with laughter at the heart of it all," said producer Frank Donner of BLKBX Originals, the newest division of BLKBX Creative Group.

The screenplay for Hurricane Bianca: The Roots Of All Evil was written by Matt Kugelman, Derek Hartley and Nicole Gemma, and is directed by Matt Kugelman. Producers are Kimberly Montini of Cranium Entertainment, and Frank Donner of BLKBX Originals.
Matthew Glasner, CSA is Casting.

Filming begins in early 2023.

Bianca Del Rio is repped by Jamie Autin. Thora Birch is repped by Luber Roklin Entertainment. Rachel Dratch is repped by CAA. Vanessa Vanjie is repped by Voss Management. Doug Plaut is repped by Clear Talent Group. Willam Belli is repped by Gersh.

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