RuPaul is headed for the big screen — and the Oval Office. The Emmy-winning host of RuPaul’s Drag Race will play President Judy Gagwell in the first-ever feature film inspired by the Drag Race universe.
The untitled action comedy is set for a 2026 theatrical release, directed by Adam Shankman (Hairspray, Disenchanted). Screenwriters Connor Wright and Christina Friel, who previously worked with RuPaul on the festive parody The Bitch Who Stole Christmas (2021), will pen the script.
What’s the story?
According to the official synopsis, the film follows best friends Tess and DeeDee, train stewardesses who swap their dull shifts on the “Stank Rail” for the glamour of the “Glamazonian Express.”
When a catastrophic “Stormganza” threatens to derail the high-speed train and send it crashing into Los Angeles, the duo must team up with their snobby first-class colleagues — and President Gagwell herself — to save the day.
In a statement, RuPaul said:
“President Judy Gagwell is the role I was born to play. Finally, a role I can sink my dentures into.”
A “truly unhinged” disaster comedy
Shankman, who has been friends with RuPaul for 30 years, said he “couldn’t resist” the opportunity to collaborate on such a wild project.
“In a time so desperate for escapist entertainment and laughter, I couldn’t resist coming aboard this hilarious and truly unhinged project.”
World of Wonder founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, who executive produce Drag Race, described the film as a “twisted disaster movie.”
“Drag queens in charge of America’s first-ever hyperspeed, transcontinental, non-denominational bullet train. What could possibly go wrong?” they teased.
Produced in collaboration with indie studio Bleecker Street (Collette, Hard Truths), the film is billed as “the most bonkers train in cinematic herstory.”
Though key casting details remain under wraps, excitement is already building for RuPaul’s presidential turn and the first feature-length leap for the Drag Race franchise.
