Lightyear It will be the first Disney/Pixar film to include a romantic scene between two people of the same sex, including a kiss. A scene that has caused a huge level of controversy and that has shown that some countries continue under a fairly large homophobic policy. It is also the studio’s first feature film to include a main character who is openly gay. About, Chris Evanswho plays the main character, has given his opinion.
“I think it’s wonderful. And you know, I’ve been asked this question several times. It’s amazing and it makes me really happy. But it’s hard not to feel a little bit frustrated that this is a topic of discussion. Lightyear be news for this reason. The goal is to get to a point where this is the norm and it doesn’t have to feel strange. Over time it has to become clear that this is simply the case. Fair representation is how we make movies,” she explained in an interview to Variety. “It’s an honor to be a part of something that’s taking these steps, but what we have to do is look at these eras in the future and be amazed at how much it took to get to this point.”
In fact, the kiss between two women—Alisha’s character and his wife—was initially cut from the final cut of Lightyearbut after a massive protest, severe internal conflicts within Disney, apologies from Bob Chapek, CEO of the company, and public statements of support for the LBQTQ+ community, the scene was restored.
In fact, Disney/Pixar not only included the scene again, but also would not remove it in any country. Consequently, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, among others, have prohibited the premiere of Lightyear in their respective countries.
The director of the film, Angus Maclane, also spoke about the kiss between the character of Aisha and her partner. Explaining in an interview Entertainment Weekly that he is happy with the support they have received for the decision, but that “he did not imagine how important it would be.”
Lightyear is a spin-off of toy story and tells the origin story of buzz lightyear, the real astronaut behind the toy. With Chris Evans taking over from Tim Allen, who has played the character in every previous film in the franchise. The film opens on June 17 in cinemas (almost) all over the world. Don’t miss our review.