Michelle Rodriguez and Sigourney Weaver to Star in Gender Reassignment Thriller Tomboy

Well, this should be interesting. Michelle Rodriguez and Sigourney Weaver will star in Tomboy, A Revenger's Tale about a male assassin who falls into the hands of a rogue surgeon known only as "The Doctor." After her not-so-elective procedure, Rodriguez, now a woman, seeks revenge on Weaver with the help of a nurse named Johnnie, who has secrets of his own.

The project, which originally had Freida Pinto attached to star, will be written and directed by Walter Hill (perhaps best known for The Warriors), based off a story by Denis Hamill. Even though filming won't begin until November 9, GLAAD is already having none of it.

"We haven't read the script, but it's disappointing to see filmmakers turning what is a life-saving medical procedure for transgender people into a sensationalistic plot device," Nick Adams, GLAAD's director of programs for transgender media, told The Hollywood Reporter. "We are at a crucial moment in the public's understanding of transgender issues, and stories like these have the potential to undermine the progress we've worked so hard to achieve."

Well, stories like these also have the opportunity to shed light and understanding through populist entertainment, if handled correctly. Considering this is a Hollywood production--and with Hollywood's less-than sterling record at depicting trans and queer people--maybe we shouldn't hold our breath, but we can at least wait until the final product before we start burning theaters down to the ground.

Les Fabian Brathwaite--noted tomgurl.