OUT MAGAZINE
Two Christmases ago, Clea DuVall gave us her heart -- but will she give more of it this year?
In 2020, Hulu released the holiday-themed romantic comedy Happiest Season, directed by legendary queer actress and filmmaker Clea DuVall, and co-written by her and Mary Holland.
The movie starred Kristen Stewart as Abby, a woman who goes home for the holidays with her girlfriend Harper (Mackenzie Davis), only to have to go back in the closet and pretend the two are "just friends" around friends and family, as Harper isn't out.
DuVall is currently doing press for her new TV show High School, which is based on the memoir by lesbian sisters and musicians Tegan and Sara. But the press is also wondering if we're going to see more of Abby and Harper.
During a recent interview, Digital Spy asked DuVall if there are any plans for a sequel to the successful movie.
"I mean, there's nothing planned right now, but I would love to make a sequel," she said. "It was such a fun experience, and everyone is so good and so nice, and got along so well. It really felt like one of those lighting-in-a-bottle type situations. So I hope so."
While audiences had some criticisms of the film - that it focused too much on straight relatives of queer people, that it was another coming out story - the movie became Hulu's most-watched original film during its opening weekend.
Almost as soon as the movie premiered, talks of a sequel started up.
"I would love to do a sequel," DuVall told Variety in 2020. "I mean, I have a couple of ideas. We all had such a great time making the movie that we were talking about it then. But it was also just like, who knew if anybody would care about the movie or not? So I definitely am more than open to it."
Many fans want a prospective sequel to focus on Aubrey Plaza's character Riley, a sexy doctor who used to be Harper's girlfriend before she was outed and ostracized in high school. Riley stole every scene she was in, and many fans wanted her to get her own happy ending.
Plaza herself has sparked rumors that a sequel focusing on her character is coming. During a book signing for her children's book The Legend of the Christmas Witch, Plaza was asked about Happiest Season sequel potential.
"There's gonna be another one," she replied in her typical deadpan style, "Um yeah! Because my character deserves love too."
So while there are no official plans for a sequel right now, it seems DuVall and Plaza are fully in on the idea. Let's make it happen, Hulu!
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