When 14-year-old filmmaker Jacob Franklin contacted Sir Ian McKellen through Eton College’s director of drama, Scott Handy, who had a connection to the actor, he never expected to even get a reply; now the actor will be starring in his debut film.

Jacob Franklin’s film, entitled Dragged Through Time, explores 1,000 years of LGBTQ+ history and how it led to the world as we know it today. Morevoer, the film analyses how queerness is seen in this day and age.

According to PinkNews, McKellen will be playing the role of great uncle Peter, a semi-closeted older member of the protagonist’s family. The character was inspired by LGBTQ+ people from the 70s and 80s, who “everybody thinks is gay, but it’s just rumours circulating, nothing confirmed”.

In a clip shared by Windsor and Eton Pride on Facebook, Jacob explains to McKellen the importance of his appearance in the film as he campaigned for LGBTQ+ rights in the 80s and 90s which highlights the detailed thought and dedication Jacob has put into his film alongside his efforts to ensure this production comes to life.

In several parts of the world, LGBTQ+ people have bared witness to improvements in their lives that others before them had fought for. There has also been a regression and the repetition of homophobic history, such as the recent passing of a ban on LGBTQ+ gatherings in Hungary or aggression against the existence of trans people in the US by the federal government. Jacob hopes that while his film will share “messages of sadness and grief”, people will also come away from it with a sense of “happiness and joy”.

The film will be created by Notice Productions, which is a youth-led drama collective in Windsor, UK, that was founded in 2022. The film is set to premiere at the first Windsor and Eton Pride festival on July 26, which will be free to attend, but tickets are required to enter.

Ian McKellen expressed how impressed he was at Jacob’s ability to make a story like this at the age of 14-years-old. Many are excited to see the story Jacob wishes to tell.