The entertainment world is buzzing as Lola Tung is confirmed to star in Ripe!, a new sapphic soccer film produced by former World Cup champion Kelley O’Hara. Tung, who rose to wider attention through roles such as in The Summer I Turned Pretty and recent press for Forbidden Fruits, has been a frequent presence in queer online circles. Her casting signals a bridge between prestige coming-of-age storytelling and athletic-centered narratives, and it places a high-profile young actor at the center of a sports romance that already carries attention because of its production pedigree.
Promotion for the project has begun with a short clip released by the official Ripe! account that features Tung and co-star Rita Roca. The brief teaser — essentially a quick, suggestive moment where a shirt is lifted and characters exchange looks — prompted fans to joke and cheer in the comments, with many playfully calling it “The Summer I Turned Gay.” The film is an expansion of a short that O’Hara made about an American exchange student who travels to Spain and falls for a soccer rival; that short won Best Narrative Short at the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival, which raises expectations for the feature adaptation.
From short to feature: the story behind Ripe!
The feature version of Ripe! takes its narrative seeds from an award-winning short film by Kelley O’Hara. The original focused on the collision of competition and attraction when an American student plays soccer abroad and becomes entangled with an opposing player. That concept, honored with the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival award for Best Narrative Short, provides a tested emotional core for a longer, more developed movie. With Lola Tung attached to the lead role, producers look to blend intimate queer storytelling with the kinetic drama of sports, hoping to keep the sincerity of the short while expanding character arcs and soccer sequences for a wider audience.
Why a sapphic soccer film matters
Projects like Ripe! matter because they place queer relationships at the center of mainstream-leaning sports stories, a combination that remains relatively uncommon on screen. The term sapphic here denotes female-presenting attraction and relationships, and pairing that with a soccer backdrop helps normalize queer love in an arena often associated with hypermasculine tropes. The momentum is notable: fellow USWNT champion Megan Rapinoe is adapting the gay soccer novel Cleat Cute into the show Playing the Field, meaning multiple high-profile athletes are shepherding queer sports narratives into production. That trend signals a meaningful cultural shift where former players are using their platforms to change representation in entertainment.
Extra time: brief entertainment notes
Broadway, TV, and casting updates
Several short items of interest include requests, casting announcements, and personal milestones. Isa Briones has publicly asked fans of her musical The Pitt to behave respectfully during performances. Bella Ramsey and Myha’la are among those announced for the upcoming series of Celebrity Traitors. On network television, Maya Bishop from Station 19 made a stop on Grey’s Anatomy and mentioned her wife and two children — though the wife, Carina, and the kids were said to be visiting family in Italy and did not appear. Lucky for supporters, the crossover did not end in tragedy for the character.
Notable appearances and personal news
In other headlines, Beanie Feldstein and her wife Bonnie-Chance Roberts are expecting their first child. Character favorite Briana Venskus popped up on two different procedurals recently, including Tracker as an FBI agent and NCIS as Kasie’s ex-college roommate and former girlfriend. Rumored chemistry makes headlines elsewhere, as one of Anne Hathaway‘s many upcoming films includes a scene with a kiss involving Dakota Johnson, though marketing hasn’t made it look conventionally romantic. Director Ben Wheatley‘s film Normal has been noted for a tender non-binary storyline, and pop-culture moments included Teyana Taylor‘s pre-Met Gala party attended by Sarah Paulson, Hunter Schafer, and EJ Johnson.
Music, tours, and social commentary
Elsewhere in entertainment, Cara Delevingne announced plans to perform on tour, and Keke Palmer hosted Billboard Women in Music at the Hollywood Palladium. Public conversations continue about media representation after singer Melissa Etheridge was misrepresented by a reporter in a straightwashing incident that she spoke about with justified concern. Social media performers like Dylan Mulvaney are enjoying live runs — Mulvaney’s Broadway performances have drawn praise and resilient responses to online criticism.
Looking ahead
With Lola Tung attached and Kelley O’Hara producing, Ripe! joins a small but growing catalog of projects where queer relationships and sports intersect. The success of the original short film at the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival sets a high bar and builds anticipation that the feature will deliver both heart and athletic spectacle.