Netflix gifted fans a first look at its first ever gay holiday rom-com with the release of a new trailer this week.
Directed by Michael Mayer, Single All The Way follows Peter (played by Michael Urie), a Los Angeles man who is about to head home for the holidays. In an effort to dispel his family’s concerns over his perpetually single status, Peter convinces his friend Nick (Philemon Chambers) to join him for the trip and pose as his boyfriend.
In true romantic comedy fashion, however, Peter’s yuletide plan goes awry when his mother (Kathy Najimy) sets him up on a date with her fitness trainer, James (Luke Macfarlane).
Watch the trailer for Single All the Way below...
For many fans, however, the real star of the trailer will be Peter’s Aunt Sandy, played with deadpan perfection by Jennifer Coolidge.
The actor, who is enjoying a cultural resurgence following her performance in HBO’s White Lotus, winks at her real-life LGBTQ icon status when she declares: “The gays just know how to do stuff. For some reason, they’re always obsessed with me.”
Due out 2 December, Single All The Way is Netflix’s entry into what appears to be an industrywide effort to diversify holiday season offerings.
Last year, Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis starred in Hulu’s Happiest Season, portraying a lesbian couple on the brink of a Christmas crisis. Actor Jonathan Bennett – best known for playing Mean Girls jock Aaron Samuels – also received praise for appearing in 2020’s The Christmas House, the Hallmark Channel’s first ever holiday offering to feature an LGBTQ storyline.
In a press release, screenwriter and executive producer Chad Hodge said Single All the Way represented “all the things I personally wanted to see in a holiday rom-com,” right down to its starry casting.
“The list ran the gamut, from honestly portraying the uniqueness of gay friendships and relationships, to the often hilarious dynamics of our families, to Jennifer Coolidge,” he explained. “I’m so grateful to Netflix for embracing all of it.”