EXCLUSIVE: Lilly Wachowski is preparing an unconventional showcase for her next project, a live reading of her dystopian political thriller The Hunted, which is currently in late-stage development with a producing team that includes Natasha Lyonne.
Co-written by Wachowski and Mickey R. Mahoney, The Hunted will make its public debut through a live reading produced by Wachowski’s Anarchists United. The event is scheduled for Aug. 7-8 at Dynasty Typewriter, with casting and ticket details to be announced.
Described as a sharp political thriller in the tradition of Wild in the Streets and V for Vendetta, The Hunted is set in a dystopian America where trans people are brutalized and pushed to the margins of society. After a horrific crime triggers a wave of mutual care and resistance within a trans community, two trans women set out to find the perpetrator, a search that leads them to the highest levels of government.
“Queer people have a necessary desire to be in community, and for trans people, at this time, this need is particularly urgent. Our lives literally depend on it,” Wachowski said. “The hope is that a table read of The Hunted will result in the same joy and catharsis that Mickey and I experienced while writing it.”
Instead of following a conventional industry path with the script, the live reading is intended as a transparent and confident way to bring the public into the project during a crucial stage of development.
The Hunted is produced by Wachowski and Mahoney with Lawrence Mattis and Sarah Marie Flores at Anarchists United, alongside Lyonne at Ariadne Collective, the indie studio she recently launched with Sean Lennon and Evan Ross, and Jason Weinberg and Daniel Flick at Untitled Entertainment.