Forget buried treasure. Hayley Kiyoko wants to find something far more exciting on the high seas: a whole lot of sapphic chemistry. The singer, filmmaker and author has revealed her dream project, and it involves taking the swashbuckling world of Pirates of the Caribbean and giving it a very queer makeover.
Speaking at a UTA event supporting Outfest, Kiyoko was asked about the projects she would love to make. Her answer was direct: she was visualizing a lesbian pirate show.
Very Gay and Fantastical
'I would love to do a lesbian pirate show or movie — Keira Knightley, but gay,' Kiyoko said, describing her vision as 'very gay and fantastical'. She made the comments during the 'Saving Queer Media' panel in Beverly Hills, which brought together filmmakers and creatives to discuss the future of LGBTQ+ storytelling.
The event was hosted by UTA Proud and served as a fundraiser for Outfest, the Los Angeles-based LGBTQ+ film organisation. Angela Robinson, Adam Shankman and Wash Westmoreland also took part, with Variety's Marc Malkin moderating.
But before anyone starts designing a new pirate flag, there is one important detail: this is not an officially announced Pirates of the Caribbean reboot.
Remarkably On-Brand
Kiyoko was describing a dream project rather than confirming that Disney has handed her the keys to the franchise. Still, the idea feels remarkably on-brand for the artist who has spent much of her career putting sapphic stories front and centre.
Kiyoko became closely associated with queer pop culture through her music, particularly her 2015 song 'Girls Like Girls'. The project eventually grew into her debut feature film, based on her song and novel of the same name. Her work has helped cement her reputation as a prominent voice for sapphic storytelling.
The filmmaker said in an earlier interview with Vogue that directing was something that she 'wanted to do forever.' She felt that in doing so, she would be doing her part in giving the queer community the representation that they need in Hollywood.
'I want to create hopeful queer content and be able to list 10 movies off the top of my head that I felt super-seen by in a theater.' she said. Kiyoko is apparently ready to take that storytelling somewhere considerably more dangerous and more fabulous.
More Dangerous and Fabulous
There is also something deliciously fitting about Kiyoko choosing Pirates of the Caribbean as the fantasy playground. The original franchise turned Elizabeth Swann, played by Knightley, into one of its most recognisable female characters, making the actress an obvious reference point for Kiyoko's proposed queer reinvention.
Only this time, imagine the corsets, ships, swords and Caribbean sunsets with the romance dial turned all the way up.
Kiyoko has spoken about wanting to create more hopeful sapphic love stories across film, television and books. In June, she described her goal as creating 'a massive safe space' for queer sapphic stories.
While there is currently no official lesbian Pirates of the Caribbean heading into production, Kiyoko has certainly planted the flag. If Hollywood is listening, the pitch is already sailing: Keira Knightley energy, lesbian romance, pirates, fantasy and Hayley Kiyoko behind the camera.
Yo ho ho — and make it very gay.
