The conversation around diversity has intensified towards big-budget projects, with it being essential to portray the world’s vast populous with thought and care. Disney, the largest corporation in film, has been somewhat behind in this trend, only having LGBTQ characters like LeFou in The Beauty and the Beast appear in small scenes that don’t make much of an impact on the film itself. They are looking to make progress with the upcoming Pixar film Onward, which will be their first animated project to feature an LGBTQ character.
The character Specter, a cyclops police officer who makes reference to her girlfriend, is apparently behind censored in the Russian cut of Onward according to Kinopoisk.ru. This isn’t the first time studios have censored Disney’s diversity efforts, with countries like Russia and China censoring the Beauty and the Beast a few years back.
It’s saddening to see that other countries aren’t receptive to the positive momentum in diversity, but it’s also sad to see Disney playing in their wheelhouse to make profits. If Disney wanted to stand up for their choice, they would tell countries that they can not screen the movie unless they embrace it for all its content. Disney continues to make small steps in their diversity movement, with small being the operative word, as they’re still behind other studios in featuring inclusion of others.
As for Onward, it will be interesting to see whether the project can reflect Pixar’s glory days or their more mixed recent offerings. Stars Tom Holland Chris Pratt have shown in the Avengers series that they can be comedic and charismatic, while the story could offer some emotional resonance with its tale of two sons trying to pay tribute to their deceased father. Onward is set to hit theaters on March 6th.
Are you excited for Onward? Let us know in the comments!