Hollywood is reportedly taking an interest in the viral story surrounding a -conscious lesbian bar in Massachusetts.

United Talent Agency (UTA), which represents , has been approached about adapting the publication’s reporting on Last Ditch Bar in Greenfield, according to .

Sources told the publication that both documentary and scripted projects are being discussed.

What sparked the Last Ditch Bar controversy?

The interest follows the publication of a Boston Globe feature last week. It examined the fallout after Last Ditch changed its COVID-19 masking rules, allowing customers to go mask-free on Saturday nights while continuing to require masks on other days.

Last Ditch had previously required customers to wear KN95 masks. In an August Instagram post announcing the change, the bar addressed “immunocompromised disabled divas”.

The dispute was also complicated by Last Ditch’s financial position. Owner Jackie Matellian was reported to be dealing with significant debts connected to the venue, while the bar itself faced pressure over its future.

Last Ditch later responded to the coverage in an Instagram statement on Friday (25 September). The venue asked people to “stop harassing Soe Noire”, a performer who had criticised the bar.

How was Last Ditch responded to the coverage?

The venue said: “He has been a collaborator and performer of Last Ditch for a while, and he deserves to speak his mind about accountability and repair from the bar.

“There are so many misconceptions due to the disorganisation of the Globe’s article.

“He did not call for a shutdown, nor did he call for the bar to be firebombed. Further, he did not disparage the owner for being homeless.”

The bar described the Globe’s reporting as “abysmal journalism” and said it had led to Noire receiving “threats, slurs and harassment”.

“This is not supporting us at Last Ditch,” the statement finished, “and it is at its core, anti-blackness hysteria.”

A Boston Globe spokesperson later stated: “This story has certainly resonated with a wide range of audiences nationally and internationally. It is now one of the most-read stories we’ve published, and has already garnered many thousands of subscriptions.”

The Hollywood Reporter says the Globe story has several potential central characters, including Matellian, as well as customers involved in the dispute over the venue’s masking policy.