H

omo Box Office?
HBO has just given a go-ahead to Moisés Kaufman's script for The Laramie Project. Kaufman will also direct the HBO movie version of his play, which focuses on the brutal murder of gay Wyoming college student Matthew Shepard. No word yet on when Laramie will air.

B

lair Witch Makers Cross-Dress
The production company behind The Blair Witch Project has optioned Jeffrey Hatcher's cross-dressing-themed play Complete Female Stage Beauty in the hopes of turning it into another low-budget box-office hit. Set in London in the 17th century, Beauty is a dark comedy centered around the real-life story of actor Edward Kynaston, a pompous (but successful) actor who made his living portraying females on stage. When King Charles II issues a decree that bans men from cross-dressing for women's roles, the actor battles to reclaim his rightful position as a drag queen of theater. The play has been described as "sexy" and "risque," and Artisan has no plans to change that in the feature-film version. Hatcher will adapt his play for the big screen, which may go into production sometime next year with a budget of less than $20 million.

C

BS's Funny Uncle
We've come a long way since Love, Sidney. Twenty years after that sitcom had Tony Randall as a gay man (whose sexuality was never discussed) suddenly confronted with helping to raise a little girl, CBS is developing Say Uncle, in which a gay yuppie inherits his teenage nephew and niece. Openly gay Friends producer Jeffrey Richman told Variety that the show will address some of the feelings heterosexuals have when they walk into the perfectly decorated home of a gay friend and wonder what it would look like if only he had kids. Richman came up with the idea after his sister made him the guardian for her children should anything happen to her. Look for Say Uncle no later than fall 2001.

H

e Must Look Like His Father…
Cagney & Lacey vet Sharon Gless has joined the cast of the Showtime remake of Queer as Folk. Gless will start her new job this month portraying a "blowsy waitress" named Debbie, the mother of Michael (played by Hal Sparks). The show is based on the controversial British series of the same name and will start airing late this year or early 2001. Originally, Gless' role was intended to be a small one, but writers Dan Lippman and Ron Cowen (who wrote the AIDS-themed Early Frost) are beefing up Gless' part.

D

owney's Out, but Perry's In
Robert Downey Jr. may have been recently sprung from his shackles, but there's a cute new inmate for the incarcerated to look forward to. Beverly Hills, 90210 alum Luke Perry is joining the chain gang! Perry, whose character Dylan graduated from college last year on 90210, has signed a deal to play a prisoner-slash-faith-healer this season in the gritty HBO prison series Oz. No word yet on who's cell Perry will get to share.