{"id":1757151,"date":"2026-02-06T10:57:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T07:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1757151"},"modified":"2026-02-06T10:57:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T07:57:00","slug":"100-nights-of-hero-the-story-behind-julia-jackmans-lo-fi-queer-fantasy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1757151","title":{"rendered":"100 Nights of Hero: The story behind Julia Jackman\u2019s lo-fi queer fantasy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/126-0-1612-1075\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436548.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"main-article standard \">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/film-tv\/article\/69573\/1\/100-nights-of-hero-charli-xcx-julia-jackmans-lo-fi-queer-fantasy\" data-article-id=\"69573\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-landscape-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img has-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.85\" data-template=\"Standard Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"100 nights of hero\" class=\"img\" height=\"1075\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1400\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436548.jpg\" width=\"1988\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"inner\"><span class=\"credit\">(Film Still)<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><time datetime=\"2026-02-06T10:57:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"06 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"6\">6,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - film-tv\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\">Film &amp; TV<\/a><br \/>\n\/<br \/>\n<a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/feature\">Feature<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"standard-tag-container\"><a class=\"standard-category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\">Film &amp; TV<\/a> \/<br \/>\n<a class=\"standard-series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/feature\">Feature<\/a><\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>100 Nights of Hero: The story behind Julia Jackman\u2019s lo-fi <span class=\"nowrap\">queer fantasy<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>The director talks adapting Isabel Greenberg\u2019s cult graphic novel, working with Charli xcx, and carving out her own place in British <span class=\"nowrap\">indie cinema<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-02-06T10:57:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"06 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"6\">6,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-02-06T10:57:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"06 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"6\">6,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/p>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/NickChen\">Nick Chen<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p>When Julia Jackman read Isabel Greenberg\u2019s 2016 graphic novel<span>\u00a0<\/span><em>The<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>One<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Hundred<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Nights<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>of<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Hero<\/span><\/em>, she wasn\u2019t aspiring to become a full-time filmmaker, let alone<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>one<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>whose adaptation of the book would premiere at Venice Film Festival and star Maika Monroe, Emma Corrin, Nicholas Galitzine, Richard E. Grant, Amir El-Masry, Felicity Jones and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/charli-xcx\">Charli xcx.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cMost of my closest friends aren\u2019t in the film world,\u201d says Jackman, a 36-year-old Canadian filmmaker who was a translator and occasional director of shorts when she read the source material. \u201cI loved the feeling of being transported to another world. I didn\u2019t fully understand at the time how rare it is to see an otherworldly, fantastical fairytale that is also queer. Usually, they\u2019re queer-coded, instead of overtly queer, and you\u2019re left to wonder. It was fun to see a romp that was also a love story between two women.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Born in Edmonton, Alberta and now an East Londoner, Jackman approached Greenberg about a potential film adaptation, knowing that the latter was studying for an animation masters. \u201cBut she trusted me and wanted to hand it over,\u201d says Jackman. \u201cIt started with us as the core two. I saw an iteration that was intimate and leaned into \u201890s, hand-painted VFX; kind of more lo-fi than a sweeping CGI spectacle.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"riWbI3v4sF0\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/riWbI3v4sF0\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p>Jackman\u2019s resulting film, now retitled<span>\u00a0<\/span><em><span>100<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Nights<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>of<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Hero<\/span><\/em>, is a queer, surreal, medieval comedy that, despite its minimal budget, squeezes as much DIY detail and colour into each frame. Before the opening titles, Jackman\u2019s script, which she wrote on spec, introduces a painterly sky of multiple moons, an alternate bird-ruling history of the planet\u2019s construction, and a society whereby women are forbidden from reading and writing. The timeline is vaguely pre-15th century, albeit with a pop star known for<span>\u00a0<\/span><em>brat<span>\u00a0<\/span><\/em>amidst the ensemble.<\/p>\n<p>The<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>hero<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>of<span>\u00a0<\/span><em><span>100<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Nights<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>of<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Hero<\/span><\/em><span>\u00a0<\/span>is, indeed, a maid called<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Hero<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>(Corrin). In the knowingly absurd setup, rich prince Jerome (El-Masry) weds Cherry (Monroe) but cannot \u2013 or, perhaps due to his ambiguous sexuality, will not \u2013 consume the marriage. As a bet \u2013 imagine<span>\u00a0<\/span><em>She\u2019s All That<\/em><span>\u00a0<\/span>as a fairytale \u2013 Jerome challenges his jock friend Manfred (Galitzine) to seduce Cherry within<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>100<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>days in his absence from the castle. Protecting Cherry,<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Hero<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>delays Manfred\u2019s man-fed tactics by telling late-<span>night<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>stories, all of which culminate in a love triangle when<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Hero<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>teaches Cherry how to kiss.<\/p>\n<p>Greenberg has stated that if she were writing her graphic novel today, she\u2019d make<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Hero<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>a non-binary character. Fittingly,<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Hero<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>is played by Corrin. \u201cIt clicked,\u201d says Jackman. \u201cSo much of the film is about theatricality, the restriction of gender roles, and how much of that is a performance: like, men being men, and women being women.<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Hero<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>feels so apart from that, and, in some ways, more enlightened than that. It made sense that<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Hero<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>would be coded, and played by<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>one<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>of our most iconic non-binary actors.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>I didn\u2019t fully understand how rare it is to see a fantastical fairytale that is also queer. Usually, they\u2019re queer coded, instead of overtly queer, and you\u2019re left to wonder<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p>While the men \u2013 including Richard E. Grant as a godlike, beak-bearing being called Birdman \u2013 are comical buffoons, they\u2019re also trapped within a societal prison. Jerome is possibly a closeted homosexual. Manfred feels pressure to demonstrate manly stereotypes, whether it\u2019s hunting deer or showing off his abs around the castle. \u201cNobody\u2019s happy,\u201d says Jackman. \u201cManfred is a cursed himbo. Everyone\u2019s performing what they think people need or want from them. Cherry is not in touch with her desires, because why would you want what you can\u2019t have?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The first actor on board was Galitzine, followed by Corrin and then, to Jackman\u2019s surprise, Charli XCX. Jackman\u2019s script was sent out to agents,<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>one<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>of whom passed it onto the musician-turned-actor. In the first of<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Hero<\/span>\u2019s tales, Charli appears as Rosa,<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>one<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>of three isolated sisters who form a secret society of female writers. With little dialogue, Rosa is the opposite of Charli\u2019s<span>\u00a0<\/span><em>brat<\/em><span>\u00a0<\/span>persona; it\u2019s even a gag within the film how much a merchant inaccurately projects his romantic fantasies upon Rosa.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was interesting to see Charlie as someone so demure with her cards close to her chest, and this unhinged suitor thinks he knows so much about her,\u201d says Jackman. \u201cShe\u2019s a character who doesn\u2019t have much of a voice, but has her own secrets and contains multitudes. It\u2019s bringing a bit of Charli\u2019s charisma, and the tendency to project onto public figures. But mostly, when I met her, it was clear she could play a subtle character with secrets. She\u2019s so different from what she\u2019s doing on tour and in music videos. What would be the point of her showing up to do exactly the same thing? The character feels like she\u2019s the opposite, but still has that spirit of rebellion.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"6e31d7ee-c704-4aec-859c-b3e900b18bbc\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1613\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436547.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.5\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Charli xcx in 100 nights of Hero\" class=\"img\" height=\"1075\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436547.jpg\" width=\"1613\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"caption\">100 nights <span class=\"nowrap\">of Hero<\/span><\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Film still)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p>Although<span>\u00a0<\/span><em><span>100<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Nights<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>of<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Hero<\/span><\/em><span>\u00a0<\/span>was Jackman\u2019s first script, she made her directorial debut with 2023\u2019s<span>\u00a0<\/span><em>Bonus Track<\/em>, a gay coming-of-ager starring Joe Anders and Samuel Small. In the teen drama, two schoolboys fall in love when preparing for a talent contest. The first draft was written by Josh O\u2019Connor, who \u2013 along with other collaborators \u2013 approached Jackman to helm the project. \u201cI was surprised they responded to my shorts,\u201d says Jackman. \u201cI\u2019d never made anything in that genre, either. But we clicked on Zoom. I\u2019d love to see more of [Josh O\u2019Connor\u2019s] writing out there when he has time. He\u2019s the busiest man alive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jackman\u2019s two features have thus been queer period-dramas about young desire, just set a few centuries apart. \u201cMaybe I\u2019m really drawn to stories about yearning,\u201d she says when this connection is placed to her. \u201cI\u2019ve had my share growing up, having my first queer experiences. I do think I\u2019m interested in the subtleties of intimacy, and what desire is like when it\u2019s coming up against repression. And I\u2019m drawn to warm stories like<span>\u00a0<\/span><em>Bonus Track<\/em>. I hadn\u2019t thought of making a teen romcom, but it felt like the type of thing I wanted to put out for young people, or anyone in search of a gay, good time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jackman reveals that the public response for both films has been heartwarming and deeply personal. \u201cI\u2019m getting a lot of sweet DMs, mostly from queer young people, and a lot of young trans people, talking about it meaning something to them,\u201d she says. \u201cPeople talk about their uncertainties, about feeling seen, or just feeling the yearning. And there\u2019s fun ones about: \u2018How do I get to be Cherry, and have Emma Corrin and Nick Galitzine fighting over me?\u2019 I shouldn\u2019t say this in an interview, but I try to respond to all of them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>100\u00a0Nights\u00a0of\u00a0Hero<em>\u00a0is out in UK cinemas on February 6<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. 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href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/article\/69288\/1\/british-actors-reshaping-hollywood-ellis-howard-bilal-hasna\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Meet the next generation of British actors \u2013 Winter 2025\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/357-78-1088-724\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/3\/1433254.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Meet the new generation of British actors reshaping Hollywood <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/article\/69320\/1\/sentimental-value-joachim-trier-renate-reinsve-elle-fanning-generational-trauma\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Sentimental Value_Renate-Reinsve_Inga-Ibsdotter-Lil\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/124-0-1624-1080\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/3\/1433543.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Sentimental Value is a raw study of generational trauma<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline\" data-newsletter hidden>\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p>When Julia Jackman read Isabel Greenberg\u2019s 2016 graphic novel<span>\u00a0<\/span><em>The<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>One<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Hundred<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Nights<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>of<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Hero<\/span><\/em>, she wasn\u2019t aspiring to become a full-time filmmaker, let alone<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>one<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>whose adaptation of the book would premiere at Venice Film Festival and star Maika Monroe, Emma Corrin, Nicholas Galitzine, Richard E. Grant, Amir El-Masry, Felicity Jones and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/charli-xcx\">Charli xcx.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cMost of my closest friends aren\u2019t in the film world,\u201d says Jackman, a 36-year-old Canadian filmmaker who was a translator and occasional director of shorts when she read the source material. \u201cI loved the feeling of being transported to another world. I didn\u2019t fully understand at the time how rare it is to see an otherworldly, fantastical fairytale that is also queer. Usually, they\u2019re queer-coded, instead of overtly queer, and you\u2019re left to wonder. It was fun to see a romp that was also a love story between two women.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Born in Edmonton, Alberta and now an East Londoner, Jackman approached Greenberg about a potential film adaptation, knowing that the latter was studying for an animation masters. \u201cBut she trusted me and wanted to hand it over,\u201d says Jackman. \u201cIt started with us as the core two. I saw an iteration that was intimate and leaned into \u201890s, hand-painted VFX; kind of more lo-fi than a sweeping CGI spectacle.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"riWbI3v4sF0\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/riWbI3v4sF0\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p>Jackman\u2019s resulting film, now retitled<span>\u00a0<\/span><em><span>100<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Nights<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>of<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Hero<\/span><\/em>, is a queer, surreal, medieval comedy that, despite its minimal budget, squeezes as much DIY detail and colour into each frame. Before the opening titles, Jackman\u2019s script, which she wrote on spec, introduces a painterly sky of multiple moons, an alternate bird-ruling history of the planet\u2019s construction, and a society whereby women are forbidden from reading and writing. The timeline is vaguely pre-15th century, albeit with a pop star known for<span>\u00a0<\/span><em>brat<span>\u00a0<\/span><\/em>amidst the ensemble.<\/p>\n<p>The<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>hero<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>of<span>\u00a0<\/span><em><span>100<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Nights<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>of<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Hero<\/span><\/em><span>\u00a0<\/span>is, indeed, a maid called<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Hero<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>(Corrin). In the knowingly absurd setup, rich prince Jerome (El-Masry) weds Cherry (Monroe) but cannot \u2013 or, perhaps due to his ambiguous sexuality, will not \u2013 consume the marriage. As a bet \u2013 imagine<span>\u00a0<\/span><em>She\u2019s All That<\/em><span>\u00a0<\/span>as a fairytale \u2013 Jerome challenges his jock friend Manfred (Galitzine) to seduce Cherry within<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>100<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>days in his absence from the castle. Protecting Cherry,<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Hero<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>delays Manfred\u2019s man-fed tactics by telling late-<span>night<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>stories, all of which culminate in a love triangle when<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Hero<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>teaches Cherry how to kiss.<\/p>\n<p>Greenberg has stated that if she were writing her graphic novel today, she\u2019d make<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Hero<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>a non-binary character. Fittingly,<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Hero<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>is played by Corrin. \u201cIt clicked,\u201d says Jackman. \u201cSo much of the film is about theatricality, the restriction of gender roles, and how much of that is a performance: like, men being men, and women being women.<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Hero<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>feels so apart from that, and, in some ways, more enlightened than that. It made sense that<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Hero<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>would be coded, and played by<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>one<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>of our most iconic non-binary actors.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>I didn\u2019t fully understand how rare it is to see a fantastical fairytale that is also queer. Usually, they\u2019re queer coded, instead of overtly queer, and you\u2019re left to wonder<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p>While the men \u2013 including Richard E. Grant as a godlike, beak-bearing being called Birdman \u2013 are comical buffoons, they\u2019re also trapped within a societal prison. Jerome is possibly a closeted homosexual. Manfred feels pressure to demonstrate manly stereotypes, whether it\u2019s hunting deer or showing off his abs around the castle. \u201cNobody\u2019s happy,\u201d says Jackman. \u201cManfred is a cursed himbo. Everyone\u2019s performing what they think people need or want from them. Cherry is not in touch with her desires, because why would you want what you can\u2019t have?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The first actor on board was Galitzine, followed by Corrin and then, to Jackman\u2019s surprise, Charli XCX. Jackman\u2019s script was sent out to agents,<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>one<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>of whom passed it onto the musician-turned-actor. In the first of<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Hero<\/span>\u2019s tales, Charli appears as Rosa,<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>one<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>of three isolated sisters who form a secret society of female writers. With little dialogue, Rosa is the opposite of Charli\u2019s<span>\u00a0<\/span><em>brat<\/em><span>\u00a0<\/span>persona; it\u2019s even a gag within the film how much a merchant inaccurately projects his romantic fantasies upon Rosa.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was interesting to see Charlie as someone so demure with her cards close to her chest, and this unhinged suitor thinks he knows so much about her,\u201d says Jackman. \u201cShe\u2019s a character who doesn\u2019t have much of a voice, but has her own secrets and contains multitudes. It\u2019s bringing a bit of Charli\u2019s charisma, and the tendency to project onto public figures. But mostly, when I met her, it was clear she could play a subtle character with secrets. She\u2019s so different from what she\u2019s doing on tour and in music videos. What would be the point of her showing up to do exactly the same thing? The character feels like she\u2019s the opposite, but still has that spirit of rebellion.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"6e31d7ee-c704-4aec-859c-b3e900b18bbc\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1613\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436547.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.5\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Charli xcx in 100 nights of Hero\" class=\"img\" height=\"1075\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436547.jpg\" width=\"1613\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"caption\">100 nights <span class=\"nowrap\">of Hero<\/span><\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Film still)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p>Although<span>\u00a0<\/span><em><span>100<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Nights<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span>of<span>\u00a0<\/span><span>Hero<\/span><\/em><span>\u00a0<\/span>was Jackman\u2019s first script, she made her directorial debut with 2023\u2019s<span>\u00a0<\/span><em>Bonus Track<\/em>, a gay coming-of-ager starring Joe Anders and Samuel Small. In the teen drama, two schoolboys fall in love when preparing for a talent contest. The first draft was written by Josh O\u2019Connor, who \u2013 along with other collaborators \u2013 approached Jackman to helm the project. \u201cI was surprised they responded to my shorts,\u201d says Jackman. \u201cI\u2019d never made anything in that genre, either. But we clicked on Zoom. I\u2019d love to see more of [Josh O\u2019Connor\u2019s] writing out there when he has time. He\u2019s the busiest man alive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jackman\u2019s two features have thus been queer period-dramas about young desire, just set a few centuries apart. \u201cMaybe I\u2019m really drawn to stories about yearning,\u201d she says when this connection is placed to her. \u201cI\u2019ve had my share growing up, having my first queer experiences. I do think I\u2019m interested in the subtleties of intimacy, and what desire is like when it\u2019s coming up against repression. And I\u2019m drawn to warm stories like<span>\u00a0<\/span><em>Bonus Track<\/em>. I hadn\u2019t thought of making a teen romcom, but it felt like the type of thing I wanted to put out for young people, or anyone in search of a gay, good time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jackman reveals that the public response for both films has been heartwarming and deeply personal. \u201cI\u2019m getting a lot of sweet DMs, mostly from queer young people, and a lot of young trans people, talking about it meaning something to them,\u201d she says. \u201cPeople talk about their uncertainties, about feeling seen, or just feeling the yearning. And there\u2019s fun ones about: \u2018How do I get to be Cherry, and have Emma Corrin and Nick Galitzine fighting over me?\u2019 I shouldn\u2019t say this in an interview, but I try to respond to all of them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>100\u00a0Nights\u00a0of\u00a0Hero<em>\u00a0is out in UK cinemas on February 6<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/article\/69573\/1\/100-nights-of-hero-charli-xcx-julia-jackmans-lo-fi-queer-fantasy&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/126-0-1612-1075\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436548.jpg&#8221;] (Film Still) February\u00a0 6,\u00a0 2026 Film &amp; TV \/ Feature Film &amp; TV \/ Feature 100 Nights of Hero: The story behind Julia Jackman\u2019s lo-fi queer fantasy The director talks adapting Isabel Greenberg\u2019s cult graphic novel, working with Charli xcx, and carving out her own place in British indie cinema February\u00a0 6,\u00a0 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,76],"class_list":["post-1757151","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1757151","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1757151"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1757151\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1757151"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1757151"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1757151"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}