In the surest sign that Pride Month is over, executives at Pixar reportedly cut much of the queer subtext from their new film Elio, making it the the latest movie from the animation studio to have its gay themes removed in the final edit.
ICYMI, Pixar released Elio last month, and as well as breaking the record for the studio’s lowest-grossing box office opening (Ratatouille could never), it’s now facing allegations of being straight-ified by Disney suits.
According to an anonymous former artist who worked on Elio and spoke with The Hollywood Reporter, Pixar execs were unhappy with the initial cut of the film, which was originally helmed by openly gay director Adrian Molina before he exited due to creative differences.
“It was pretty clear through the production of the first version of the film that [studio leaders] were constantly sanding down these moments in the film that alluded to Elio’s sexuality of being queer,” the artist claimed.
Two such moments included a scene where the title character wears a pink tank top (is this a biopic?), and another in which his bedroom wall is adorned in posters of what is implied to be his same-sex childhood crush (yep, it is).
I guess it’s easier for Pixar to envision a talking rat who cooks than it is to portray a gay kid?
The source went on to claim that constant revisions led to Elio being made “more masculine”, resulting in Molina’s departure and Domee Shi and Madeline Sharafian joining as co-directors in his place.
Apparently it was the same lack of diversity that also led America Ferrera, who was originally set to voice Elio’s mum, to leave the project, with the insider saying the Barbie star was “upset that there was no longer Latinx representation in the leadership” after Molina’s exit.
Whatever the case, it’s not the first time Pixar has copped heat for scrapping queer storylines.
In December last year, the studio faced criticism when it was revealed that a character’s original trans identity in the TV show Win or Lose was removed in the final edit, and before that, reports circulated that execs passed down continuous notes to make Riley from Inside Out 2 appear “less gay”.
All this, mind you, from the same studio that released Luca, which is perhaps gayer than even Brokeback Mountain.
Lead image: Disney/Pixar
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