'It's a Sin': Live stream, release date, plot, cast, trailer and all you need to know about HBO Max's drama on the AIDS crisis
'It's a Sin', a British television drama serial written by Welsh writer Russell T Davies, the creator of 'Queer as Folk' will soon be released on HBO Max. The five-part miniseries is set in London and depicts the lives of a group of gay men and their friends during the AIDS crisis of the 1980s. 'It's a Sin' has recently broken all of HBO Max's viewing records.
Here's what the lead actor of 'It's a Sin' Olly Alexander has to say on the show's impact, "We’re getting two reactions, which are people of my generation, remembering people they haven’t spoken about for a very long time, very often because the death was considered to be so secret and tragic, and at the same time, you’ve got a younger generation who are watching this and they cannot believe what they’re seeing. They cannot believe that the gay or queer life in any shape or form was once treated so badly in a very recognizable world.”
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Release date
'It's a Sin' airs on HBO Max on February 18. The series will premiere binge style, with all five episodes dropping at once.
Plot
The official synopsis reads: "It’s 1981, the start of a new decade and Ritchie (Olly Alexander), Roscoe (Omari Douglas) and Colin (Callum Scott Howells) begin a new life in London. Strangers at first, these young gay lads, and their best friend Jill (Years and Years’ Lydia West), find themselves thrown together, and soon share each other’s adventures."
It adds, "But a new virus is on the rise, and soon their lives will be tested in ways they never imagined. As the decade passes, and they grow up in the shadow of AIDS, they’re determined to live and love more fiercely than ever". You can also expect to see some other powerhouse performers in 'It's a Sin' including Stephen Fry, Neil Patrick Harris, Keeley Hawes, Shaun Dooley and Tracy Ann Oberman.
Cast
Olly Alexander
Olly Alexander is a British musician, singer-songwriter, actor and LGBTQ advocate and is the lead singer of the synth-pop trio Years & Years. Alexander's acting career began in 2008 with the film 'Summerhill'. His next film 'Bright Star' was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Achievement in Costume Design. From March to June 2013, Alexander starred as Peter Pan in the West End play 'Peter and Alice' acting alongside Ben Whishaw and Judi Dench.
Alexander plays one of the main characters in the 2014 musical feature film 'God Help the Girl', where his musical talents are also on display as he sings and plays the guitar. Alexander also has a thriving musical career. The band he leads 'Years & Years' was formed in 2010 with Alexander joining the band as lead vocalist.
Years & Years' most successful single, 'King' released under Polydor, headed straight to number one in the UK Single Chart in March 2015, earning the band national recognition.
As a gay songwriter, Alexander has stated in interviews he would like to see greater use of the qualified male pronoun in music. He explained that, whenever he used to write a diary, he would refer to "you and I" because he wanted to hide who he was writing about.
Alexander collaborated with the Pet Shop Boys on their 2019 single 'Dreamland,' and later released a cover of their hit 'It's a Sin' to coincide with his starring role in the drama series of the same name.
Omari Douglas
The 27-year-old Omari Douglas is known for his role on 'Wise Children' in 2019. However, it seems that 'It's a Sin' could be the big break that the actor is looking for.
Callum Scott Howells
Callum Scott Howells is a theatre actor who has starred in productions of the hit musical, 'Oliver!', Matthew Bourne's dance production 'Lord of the Flies', and as part of several National Music Youth Theatre shows. He was also recently cast as Romeo in Gary Owen's brand-new play 'Romeo and Julie', based on the Shakespeare classic which was a co-production with the National Theatre and the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff.
Creators
'It's a Sin' has been created and written by Russell T Davies and has been directed by Peter Hoar. Russell Davies and Peter Hoar are also executive producers on the show along with Nicola Shindler.
Where to watch
You can catch all five episodes of 'It's a Sin' airs on HBO Max on February 18.
Trailer
It's little wonder that the young stars of the film, most of whom are not much older than the roles they're portraying, are getting rave reviews. Catch a sneak peek of their brilliant performances in the trailer of 'It's a Sin'.
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