Months before his death, Terence Stamp filmed scenes for a sequel to the iconic LGBTQIA+ film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
Stephan Elliot, the writer and director of the 1994 classic, recently told Deadline that he persuaded Stamp to reprise his acclaimed role as transgender nightclub artist Bernadette. While the late actor was hesitant, Elliot promised it would not be a rehash of the original.
“So I came forward with something that is pretty special and unique,” Elliot revealed. “And that’s when I got him.”
The original film also starred Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce as drag queens Mitzi Bel Bra and Felicia Jollygoodfellow, who travel with Bernadette across the Australian outback in a tour bus named Priscilla.
The road comedy, which earned Stamp BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations, was praised for its groundbreaking depiction of trans women and drag queens, and has been credited with introducing queer themes to a mainstream audience.
Elliot, who also credits Priscilla with paving the way for queer media such as RuPaul’s Drag Race, explained that a sequel had been in the works “just before COVID, because it took me decades to find a plot and I found it”.
“But then COVID came along, and of course, we all lost ground, but it did give us the time to get the script underway. And as well you know, we have very big heels to fill, and we’ve been pretty much at it ever since,” he continued. “Terence wasn’t getting any younger, and that’s a fact he loved to shove down our throats almost every day.”
Deadline first reported news of the sequel in April 2024.
Elliot said discussions at the time involved “a lot of trial and error” over how Stamp’s character would look at 88 years old.
“So the clock clicked on, and then when the AI wars broke out, Terence was indignant that he didn’t want a digital clone of himself playing Bernadette,” he recalled. “He wanted the chance to put the character down himself. And I will quote him in this case. He said: ‘Just in case I don’t make the start line.’”
With the blessing of Stamp, his family, Weaving, Pearce and the financiers, Elliot decided to “pre-shoot all the Bernadette scenes.”
Sadly, Stamp passed away on 17 August, 2025, at the age of 87.
Elliot said of Stamp: “He was 87, turning 88… And I put him through a multi-cam shoot, spread over several grueling sessions. All I can say is, that the old trouper gave it everything he had. He hated putting the wig on again.
“But at the same time, my God, you could have bottled that smile. I mean, it was brilliant fun, and he really did have the time of his life. But calling ‘that’s a wrap’ on Terence Stamp… are going to be words that will haunt me to the day I die.”
His death was met with an outpouring of tributes from the entertainment industry and former co-stars, including Pearce, who posted a heartfelt farewell to his “dear Tel”.
“You were a true inspiration, both in and out of heels,” Pearce wrote on X/Twitter. “We’ll always have Kings Canyon, Kings Road and F’ing ABBA. Wishing you well on your way ‘Ralph’!”
Amie Stoppard, Stamp’s niece, shared photos of her late uncle in the makeup chair as he stepped back into Bernadette’s full glam.
She said he “poured his heart into this project before he passed,” working with “passion and determination to bring Bernadette’s spirit back to life, and this film became his swan song”.
“Though he is no longer here to see it completed, the sequel carries his talent and love within it,” Stoppard continued.
“It stands not only as a testament to his extraordinary career, but also as part of his enduring legacy in how Priscilla broke new ground and boundaries for the LGBTQ+ community — a story that was brought visibility, courage, and humanity to the big screen in ways that were ahead of their time.”
While Elliot remained tight-lipped on specifics, he described Priscilla 2 as a “very unusual” and “touching” film that explores “what it’s like to get old and to be either gay [and/or] trans” — a subject, he noted, that has “never been explored.”
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“I had to come to him with a plot that is a really good one. And when I came to [Stamp], he looked at me and said, ‘Okay, I didn’t see that one coming.’ So I brought him something completely original,” Elliot explained.
“At that point, he said, ‘Right, that’s the promise. I’ll do this because you’re going in a different direction. But at the same time, I will never let you just repeat yourself.’ None of us want that. And Guy doesn’t want that either, and Hugo either.”
Elliot confirmed that Stamp appeared in full costume as Bernadette for the shoot. He added that the role will inevitably require some CGI face replacement — “I’m going to have an actor playing Terence Stamp. I mean, it is scary” — and that he hopes filming for the sequel will begin in 2026.
You can read Elliot’s full interview with Deadline here.
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