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Credit: Pixar Animation StudiosThe Walt Disney Company continues to break barriers and diversify its entertainment. Still, the Mouse House faces immense backlash amid Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill and cutting a same-sex kissing scene from Lightyear (2022), Pixar’s upcoming movie.
Related: Disney Cuts LGBTQ+ ‘Turning Red’ Scenes After Backing “Don’t Say Gay” Bill
Pixar is set to debut two feature films in 2022: Turning Red (2022) and Lightyear (2022), the latter being one of the most anticipated Disney movies in years, especially among Toy Story (1995) fans.
But, Pixar and Disney have been facing a world of controversy and resistance from fans amid reports claiming that The Walt Disney Company cut LGBTQ and same-sex relations in Turning Red, and now again in Lightyear.
Related: “Reality Should Not Be Taboo,” Fans Defend “Disgusting” ‘Turning Red’
Pixar Animation staff recently published a letter expressing their concerns for representations within the company and in their films, citing that Disney cuts “nearly every moment of overtly gay affection… regardless of when there is protest from both the creative teams and executive leadership at Pixar.”
Related: Disney Removes Another ‘Star Wars’ Show From Release Schedule
Turning Red is Pixar’s latest victim, as many viewers noticed “gay hinting” throughout the family film, claiming that some scenes felt off and out of place, particularly with character development that was hindered from cut scenes.
Nonetheless, Disney reportedly cut same-sex kissing scenes from Lightyear.
Now, howeverm Disney has reportedly added back these deleted scenes into the Pixar film:
A same-sex kiss scene has been added back into #Lightyear after backlash from Pixar employees and Bob Chapek’s handling of the “Don’t Say Gay” bill
A same-sex kiss scene has been added back into #Lightyear after backlash from Pixar employees and Bob Chapek’s handling of the “Don’t Say Gay” bill
(via @Variety) pic.twitter.com/zzSTlZfANf
— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) March 18, 2022
Variety reports:
Creatives within Pixar have tried for years to incorporate LGBTQ identity into its storytelling in ways big and small, only to have those efforts consistently thwarted.
According to a source close to the production, Pixar’s next feature film, “Lightyear” — starring Chris Evans as the putative real-life inspiration for the “Toy Story” character Buzz Lightyear — does feature a significant female character, Hawthorne (voiced by Uzo Aduba), who is in a meaningful relationship with another woman. While the fact of that relationship was never in question at the studio, a kiss between the characters had been cut from the film.
Related: Scarlett Johansson Leaves Chris Evans Hanging, Leaves New Movie
Amid controversies regarding Disney remaining silent on Florida state’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill to later denouncing Govenor Ron DeSanits’ legislature actions, Pixar reinstates a scene with character Hawthorn sharing a kiss between another female in the animated film.
Upon the news, fans seem to be split on the matter, with some stating that they’ll no longer be watching the movie to other cheering for Pixar and more.
More about Lightyear
Joining the previously announced Chris Evans, who lends his voice to Buzz, are Keke Palmer, Dale Soules and Taika Waititi as a group of ambitious recruits. Peter Sohn voices Buzz’s robot companion, Sox, and the cast also includes the voices of Uzo Aduba, James Brolin, Mary McDonald-Lewis, Efren Ramirez and Isiah Whitlock Jr. “The cast for ‘Lightyear’ is truly a dream team,” said MacLane. “Each of the performers immediately inhabited their character, which gave us the opportunity to play a bit during recording sessions. This resulted in a level of specificity that elevated the material and brought additional depth to the characters’ relationships. It has been a privilege to work with such a talented and generous cast.”
Also revealed this morning, award-winning composer Michael Giacchino, who’s behind the scores for the upcoming film The Batman (2022), as well as Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), is on board to score Lightyear. Giacchino has a long history with Pixar; he won an Oscar, Golden Globe and GRAMMY for the original score in Up (2009). His other Pixar credits include The Incredibles (2004), Ratatouille (2007), Cars 2 (2011), Inside Out (2015), Coco (2017), and Incredibles 2 (2018), among others. The Lightyear Original Motion Picture Soundtrack from Walt Disney Records will be available on June 17, 2022.
Lightyear is produced by Galyn Susman (Toy Story That Time Forgot).
Pixar’s Lightyear hits theaters on June 17, 2022.