Rupert Everett to
revisit Oscar Wilde in new film

Out British actor Rupert Everett is reportedly developing a film about the final three years of Oscar Wilde's life, the period following his release from prison in 1897. Wilde, best known for works such as The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Importance of Being Earnest, was imprisoned in 1895 after being found guilty of engaging in homosexual acts with Lord Alfred Douglas.

Wilde's life has been the subject of numerous film and television projects, most notably in Brian Gilbert's 1997 film Wilde starring Stephen Fry. Yet Everett insists his take will be different: "I want to make a film about him from the time he came out of prison until his death. Every film made about him has taken him through the Cafe Royale days to his trial, but his trial, to me, is the most revealing time of his life," he told the press while promoting his autobiography, Red Carpets and Other Banana Skins, at a literary festival in Gloucestershire, England. "After his release, Wilde travels to Naples, Paris, and all round Europe. He was the last of the great vagabonds--this syphilitic, hobbling man who sat drunk in the corners of nightclubs. I can identify with that."

Everett, who gained American celebrity from his role in the Julia Roberts vehicle My Best Friend's Wedding, has been vocal in recent months about homophobia in Hollywood and the marginalization of queer actors and characters. He is currently lending his voice to the third installment of the Shrek franchise, due in theaters next summer. (The Advocate)