The Big Picture

• A sequel to The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is in the works with original stars and director on board.
• Stephan Elliott has confirmed that the original cast is on board, a script is ready, and deals are being worked out for the sequel.
• The original film was a hit with critics and audiences, winning an Oscar for Best Costume Design and launching the careers of its lead actors.

Thirty years after it became a cult classic, a sequel to The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is in the works. Original stars Terence Stamp, Guy Pearce, and Hugo Weaving are all prepared to get back on the bus. Deadline reports that the original film's director, Stephan Elliott, will helm the sequel - and although an official announcement hasn't been made yet, the film is a go.

Says Elliott, "The original cast is on board, I’ve got a script that everybody likes, we’re still working out deals...it’s happening". Elliot had pondered writing a sequel for years, ever since the film, a pioneering piece of LGBT cinema, became a hit upon its release in 1994, grossing almost $30 million USD on a $2 million budget. Those ponderings became more concrete upon the deaths of Elliott's parents and the global pandemic, which prompted him to pen the follow-up. Elliott didn't reveal many other details of the film, but it will include the son of main character Tick (Weaving); he was a child in the original film, and will now have grown up. He also intends to supplement the original film's soundtrack of classic disco hits with more contemporary material.

What is 'The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert'?

Directed and written by Elliott, the film follows two drag queens - responsible Anthony "Tick" Belrose (Weaving) and younger, obnoxious Adam Whitely (Pearce) - and their friend, transgender woman Bernadette Bassenger (Stamp) as they travel from Sydney to Alice Springs, where Tick has been offered a job performing his drag act at a resort. The trio journeys through the barren Australian Outback in a tour bus that Adam dubs "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert", encountering locals both friendly and hostile - and discovering that Tick also plans to reunite with his estranged wife and long-lost young son in Alice Springs. The film was a hit with critics and audiences, and has become a classic of LGBT cinema; it won an Oscar for Best Costume Design. It made stars out of Australian actors Weaving and Pearce, and revitalized Stamp's career, earning him a Golden Globe nomination.

In addition to the original trio of leads, Elliott intends to bring back the first film's title character - a modified Japanese-made tour bus. The rented bus disappeared for some time after it was used in the original film, but was located years later, having been damaged in a brush fire. The History Trust of South Australia recently took possession of it, and is working to restore it to its original glittering glory.

The sequel to The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert has not yet been officially greenlit, but hopes to begin shooting this year. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates, and watch the original theatrical trailer for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert below.