Pixar's Lightyear Rtor Same-Sex Kiss After Don't Say Gay Uproar - Variety

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• CHRIS EVANS ON LIGHTYEAR’S SAME-SEX KISS AND TRYG TO SOUND LIKE TIM ALLENEVANS TAK OVER THE ROLE OF BUZZ LIGHTYEAR DISNEY-PIXAR’S NEW ANIMATED ADVENTURE.BY PL CHIJUNE 9, 2022BY MATT WKELMEYER/GETTY IMAG.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVECHRIS EVANS HAS BEEN LLED FOR DUTY DISNEY-PIXAR’S NEW TOY STORY SP-OFF, LIGHTYEAR. THE ANIMATED MOVIE TELLS THE ORIG STORY OF THE HERO WHO SPIRED THE BUZZ LIGHTYEAR TOY, VOICED BY TIM ALLEN THE FOUR TOY STORY FILMS. MASTERG THE VOICE OF BUZZ, AND LIVERG HIS MOST FAMO LE—“TO FY AND BEYOND”—WAS AN “TIMIDATG” TASK FOR EVANS.“I ED TIM ALLEN AS A GUILE. HE DID SUCH A GOOD JOB, AND I’D BE A FOOL NOT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE WORK HE DID,” SAID EVANS AT THE FILM’S WORLD PREMIERE HOLLYWOOD ON WEDNDAY. “BUT I ULDN’T JT DO A SHAMELS IMPRSN. I HAD TO SOMEHOW CREATE MY OWN UNRSTANDG OF THE CHARACTER, AND TRY TO MAKE SOME H TRACKS THE SNOW WHILE PAYG HOMAGE TO THE GREAT WORK THAT HE DID. EVENTUALLY I FELT FORTABLE ENOUGH TO MAKE MY OWN TERPRETATN, AND PART OF THAT WAS LOWERG THE TONE OF MY VOICE. I BASILLY HAVE TO LOWER THE REGISTER OF MY VOICE EVERYTHG THAT I DO.”THE CHANGE ACTORS WAS A LIBERATE MOVE, MEANT TO SET A NTRAST BETWEEN BUZZ OM THE TOY STORY ANCHISE AND BUZZ OM LIGHTYEAR. “TIM’S VERSN OF BUZZ IS A LTLE GOOFIER AND IS A LTLE DUMBER, AND SO HE IS THE IC RELIEF. IN THIS FILM, BUZZ IS THE ACTN HERO. HE’S SER AND AMB AND FUNNY, BUT NOT A GOOFY WAY THAT WOULD UNRCUT THE DRAMA,” SAID DIRECTOR ANG MACLANE. “CHRIS EVANS HAS THE GRAVAS AND THAT MOVIE-STAR QUALY THAT OUR CHARACTER NEED TO SEPARATE HIM AND THE MOVIE OM TIM’S VERSN OF THE TOY TOY STORY.”LIGHTYEAR, THEATERS JUNE 17, BEGS WH A TLE RD TELLG THAT 1995, LTLE BOY ANDY GOT A TOY BUZZ: “IT WAS OM HIS FAVORE MOVIE. THIS IS THAT MOVIE.” THE NEW FILM FOC ON BUZZ AND HIS CREW TRYG TO MAKE BACK TO EARTH AFTER GETTG MAROONED ON A HOSTILE PLA WHILE BATTLG FOREIGN CREATUR AND FO, CLUDG BUZZ’S ARCHENEMY ZURG (VOICED BY JAM BROL).THE FILM ALSO FEATUR THE FIRST-EVER SAME-SEX KISS A PIXAR MOVIE, BETWEEN BUZZ’S LONGTIME MANR AND BT IEND, SPACE RANGER ALISHA HAWTHORNE (VOICED BY UZO ADUBA), AND HER WIFE. THE HISTORIL MOMENT HAPPENS DURG AN EMOTNAL MONTAGE WHERE THE DIENCE SE GLIMPS OF ALISHA AND HER PARTNER STARTG A FAY TOGETHER, AND AT ONE POT GREETG EACH OTHER WH A KISS ON THE LIPS.“IT’S CREDIBLE, AND A REAL HATS OFF TO DISNEY AND PIXAR FOR HAVG THAT KISS BE A PART OF THIS STORY,” SAID ADUBA. “THE KISS IS A GREETG AND A GTURE OF LOVE THAT IS TENR. IT DO TABLISH WHO THEY ARE AS PEOPLE, BUT IS NOT THE SGULAR INTIFIER FOR WHO EHER OF THEM ARE. SEEG A LOVG GAY UPLE A MEANGFUL WAY IS IMPORTANT FOR EVERYBODY.”THE KISS WAS IALLY CUT OM THE MOVIE, BUT RESTATED AFTER LGBTQ+ EMPLOYE AT PIXAR SPOKE OUT LAST MARCH AN OPEN LETTER CLAIMG THAT DISNEY RPORATE EXECUTIV HAD ACTIVELY CENSORED “OVERTLY GAY AFFECTN” S FILMS. REPORTS PREVLY REVEALED THAT DISNEY, PIXAR’S PARENT PANY, HAD DONATED $190,000 SUPPORT OF FLORIDA REPUBLINS, WEEKS BEFORE DISNEY STARTED TO NMN THE STATE’S PARENTAL RIGHTS EDUTN BILL, WHICH FORBIDS DISCSNS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATN FOR STUNTS KRGARTEN THROUGH THIRD GRA.“IT’S GREAT THAT ’S BACK THE FILM,” SAID EVANS, WHO HAS AN OPENLY GAY BROTHER. “I THK ’S A SHAME THAT ’S SUCH A STORY. IT SHOULD BE MORE NORMALIZED, BUT I’M GLAD WE ARE MAKG THOSE STEPS.”PRODUCER GALYN SMAN SAID THE GAY UPLE LIGHTYEAR WAS NEVER MEANT TO MAKE HEADL. “IT’S IMPORTANT TO SHOW ALL OF THE WONRFUL PEOPLE THAT ARE AROUND AND REPRENT EVERYBODY, CLUDG SAME-SEX UPL, OUR FILM,” SAID SMAN, WHO HAS BEEN A PART OF PIXAR SCE 1990. “REPRENTATN IS HUGE FOR , AND WE WANT TO MAKE NNECTNS WH AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE. ALISHA AND HER WIFE HAVE A RELATNSHIP THAT LASTS AN ENTIRE LIFETIME. WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH MOVI THAT SHOW RELATNSHIPS THAT LAST AN ENTIRE LIFE, AND THAT’S ASPIRATNAL.”MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISJOG BUZZ THIS NEW SPACE ODYSSEY IS SOX THE ROBOT T, VOICED BY PETER SOHN, THE DIRECTOR OF PIXAR’S THE GOOD DOSR. A HIDN GRAB BAG OF GIZMOS A CUTE PACKAGE, SOX STEALS THE SHOW AND SEEMS STED TO BE A FAN FAVORE.“SOX IS A ROBOT, SO THERE ARE A LOT OF R2-D2-STYLE ASPECTS TO HIM THAT WILL SURPRISE THE DIENCE,” SAID SOHN, WHO WAS SPIRED BY BRENT SPER’S PERFORMANCE AS DATA STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATN. “MY FAVORE TRICK IS WHEN SOX SURPRIS BUZZ BY TAKG DOWN A GUARD THAT’S ABOUT TO STOP THEM WH A DART G OUT OF HIS MOUTH. IT’S A REALLY CRAZY AND TENSE MOMENT, AND THIS LTLE GAG TOTALLY SHOCKED ME.”ANOTHER NEW CHARACTER IS IZZY HAWTHORNE (VOICED BY KEKE PALMER), AN EAGER AND SELF-MOTIVATED T DREAMG OF BEG A SPACE RANGER LIKE HER GRANDMOTHER, ALISHA. “DON’T LET LIFE PASS YOU BY [WHILE] CHASG OUTSI VALIDATN. THAT’S SUCH A HUGE MSAGE THIS MOVIE THAT MY CHARACTER HELPS ILLTRATE,” SAID PALMER. “IT REALLY RONAT TODAY, PECIALLY THIS SOCIAL MEDIA AGE WHERE WE ARE ALWAYS STRIVG FOR ATTENTN. DISNEY-PIXAR, THEY ALWAYS WRAP UP IMPORTANT MSAG A PACKAGE WHERE THE END, YOU’RE LIKE, WHY AM I CRYG? PEOPLE WILL FELY BE CRYG AT THE END OF THIS ONE.”THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN UPDATED.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR“IT’S RAG TEENS” AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?THE BT TV SHOWS OF 2023, SO FARSEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM, AND THE ORIG OF BARBIETHAT SOUND YOU HEAR IS DONALD TMP SCREAMG, CRYG, AND THROWG UP A MAR-A-LAGO BATHROOMIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI THE ACTORS STRIKE PRS APOLYPSE: “THE CELEBRY FACTORY HAS SHUT DOWN”IS ALL THIS AMATR THERAPY-SPEAK JT MAKG US LONELIER?FROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)PL CHI
• DISNEY RTOR SAME-GENR ‘LIGHTYEAR’ KISS FOLLOWG “DON’T SAY GAY” BACKLASH
• SAME-SEX KISS RTORED PIXAR’S ‘LIGHTYEAR’ FOLLOWG STAFF UPROAR OVER ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ BILL (EXCLUSIVE)

CHRIS EVANS ON LIGHTYEAR’S SAME-SEX KISS AND TRYG TO SOUND LIKE TIM ALLENEVANS TAK OVER THE ROLE OF BUZZ LIGHTYEAR DISNEY-PIXAR’S NEW ANIMATED ADVENTURE.BY PL CHIJUNE 9, 2022BY MATT WKELMEYER/GETTY IMAG.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVECHRIS EVANS HAS BEEN LLED FOR DUTY DISNEY-PIXAR’S NEW TOY STORY SP-OFF, LIGHTYEAR. THE ANIMATED MOVIE TELLS THE ORIG STORY OF THE HERO WHO SPIRED THE BUZZ LIGHTYEAR TOY, VOICED BY TIM ALLEN THE FOUR TOY STORY FILMS. MASTERG THE VOICE OF BUZZ, AND LIVERG HIS MOST FAMO LE—“TO FY AND BEYOND”—WAS AN “TIMIDATG” TASK FOR EVANS.“I ED TIM ALLEN AS A GUILE. HE DID SUCH A GOOD JOB, AND I’D BE A FOOL NOT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE WORK HE DID,” SAID EVANS AT THE FILM’S WORLD PREMIERE HOLLYWOOD ON WEDNDAY. “BUT I ULDN’T JT DO A SHAMELS IMPRSN. I HAD TO SOMEHOW CREATE MY OWN UNRSTANDG OF THE CHARACTER, AND TRY TO MAKE SOME H TRACKS THE SNOW WHILE PAYG HOMAGE TO THE GREAT WORK THAT HE DID. EVENTUALLY I FELT FORTABLE ENOUGH TO MAKE MY OWN TERPRETATN, AND PART OF THAT WAS LOWERG THE TONE OF MY VOICE. I BASILLY HAVE TO LOWER THE REGISTER OF MY VOICE EVERYTHG THAT I DO.”THE CHANGE ACTORS WAS A LIBERATE MOVE, MEANT TO SET A NTRAST BETWEEN BUZZ OM THE TOY STORY ANCHISE AND BUZZ OM LIGHTYEAR. “TIM’S VERSN OF BUZZ IS A LTLE GOOFIER AND IS A LTLE DUMBER, AND SO HE IS THE IC RELIEF. IN THIS FILM, BUZZ IS THE ACTN HERO. HE’S SER AND AMB AND FUNNY, BUT NOT A GOOFY WAY THAT WOULD UNRCUT THE DRAMA,” SAID DIRECTOR ANG MACLANE. “CHRIS EVANS HAS THE GRAVAS AND THAT MOVIE-STAR QUALY THAT OUR CHARACTER NEED TO SEPARATE HIM AND THE MOVIE OM TIM’S VERSN OF THE TOY TOY STORY.”LIGHTYEAR, THEATERS JUNE 17, BEGS WH A TLE RD TELLG THAT 1995, LTLE BOY ANDY GOT A TOY BUZZ: “IT WAS OM HIS FAVORE MOVIE. THIS IS THAT MOVIE.” THE NEW FILM FOC ON BUZZ AND HIS CREW TRYG TO MAKE BACK TO EARTH AFTER GETTG MAROONED ON A HOSTILE PLA WHILE BATTLG FOREIGN CREATUR AND FO, CLUDG BUZZ’S ARCHENEMY ZURG (VOICED BY JAM BROL).THE FILM ALSO FEATUR THE FIRST-EVER SAME-SEX KISS A PIXAR MOVIE, BETWEEN BUZZ’S LONGTIME MANR AND BT IEND, SPACE RANGER ALISHA HAWTHORNE (VOICED BY UZO ADUBA), AND HER WIFE. THE HISTORIL MOMENT HAPPENS DURG AN EMOTNAL MONTAGE WHERE THE DIENCE SE GLIMPS OF ALISHA AND HER PARTNER STARTG A FAY TOGETHER, AND AT ONE POT GREETG EACH OTHER WH A KISS ON THE LIPS.“IT’S CREDIBLE, AND A REAL HATS OFF TO DISNEY AND PIXAR FOR HAVG THAT KISS BE A PART OF THIS STORY,” SAID ADUBA. “THE KISS IS A GREETG AND A GTURE OF LOVE THAT IS TENR. IT DO TABLISH WHO THEY ARE AS PEOPLE, BUT IS NOT THE SGULAR INTIFIER FOR WHO EHER OF THEM ARE. SEEG A LOVG GAY UPLE A MEANGFUL WAY IS IMPORTANT FOR EVERYBODY.”THE KISS WAS IALLY CUT OM THE MOVIE, BUT RESTATED AFTER LGBTQ+ EMPLOYE AT PIXAR SPOKE OUT LAST MARCH AN OPEN LETTER CLAIMG THAT DISNEY RPORATE EXECUTIV HAD ACTIVELY CENSORED “OVERTLY GAY AFFECTN” S FILMS. REPORTS PREVLY REVEALED THAT DISNEY, PIXAR’S PARENT PANY, HAD DONATED $190,000 SUPPORT OF FLORIDA REPUBLINS, WEEKS BEFORE DISNEY STARTED TO NMN THE STATE’S PARENTAL RIGHTS EDUTN BILL, WHICH FORBIDS DISCSNS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATN FOR STUNTS KRGARTEN THROUGH THIRD GRA.“IT’S GREAT THAT ’S BACK THE FILM,” SAID EVANS, WHO HAS AN OPENLY GAY BROTHER. “I THK ’S A SHAME THAT ’S SUCH A STORY. IT SHOULD BE MORE NORMALIZED, BUT I’M GLAD WE ARE MAKG THOSE STEPS.”PRODUCER GALYN SMAN SAID THE GAY UPLE LIGHTYEAR WAS NEVER MEANT TO MAKE HEADL. “IT’S IMPORTANT TO SHOW ALL OF THE WONRFUL PEOPLE THAT ARE AROUND AND REPRENT EVERYBODY, CLUDG SAME-SEX UPL, OUR FILM,” SAID SMAN, WHO HAS BEEN A PART OF PIXAR SCE 1990. “REPRENTATN IS HUGE FOR , AND WE WANT TO MAKE NNECTNS WH AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE. ALISHA AND HER WIFE HAVE A RELATNSHIP THAT LASTS AN ENTIRE LIFETIME. WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH MOVI THAT SHOW RELATNSHIPS THAT LAST AN ENTIRE LIFE, AND THAT’S ASPIRATNAL.”MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISJOG BUZZ THIS NEW SPACE ODYSSEY IS SOX THE ROBOT T, VOICED BY PETER SOHN, THE DIRECTOR OF PIXAR’S THE GOOD DOSR. A HIDN GRAB BAG OF GIZMOS A CUTE PACKAGE, SOX STEALS THE SHOW AND SEEMS STED TO BE A FAN FAVORE.“SOX IS A ROBOT, SO THERE ARE A LOT OF R2-D2-STYLE ASPECTS TO HIM THAT WILL SURPRISE THE DIENCE,” SAID SOHN, WHO WAS SPIRED BY BRENT SPER’S PERFORMANCE AS DATA STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATN. “MY FAVORE TRICK IS WHEN SOX SURPRIS BUZZ BY TAKG DOWN A GUARD THAT’S ABOUT TO STOP THEM WH A DART G OUT OF HIS MOUTH. IT’S A REALLY CRAZY AND TENSE MOMENT, AND THIS LTLE GAG TOTALLY SHOCKED ME.”ANOTHER NEW CHARACTER IS IZZY HAWTHORNE (VOICED BY KEKE PALMER), AN EAGER AND SELF-MOTIVATED T DREAMG OF BEG A SPACE RANGER LIKE HER GRANDMOTHER, ALISHA. “DON’T LET LIFE PASS YOU BY [WHILE] CHASG OUTSI VALIDATN. THAT’S SUCH A HUGE MSAGE THIS MOVIE THAT MY CHARACTER HELPS ILLTRATE,” SAID PALMER. “IT REALLY RONAT TODAY, PECIALLY THIS SOCIAL MEDIA AGE WHERE WE ARE ALWAYS STRIVG FOR ATTENTN. DISNEY-PIXAR, THEY ALWAYS WRAP UP IMPORTANT MSAG A PACKAGE WHERE THE END, YOU’RE LIKE, WHY AM I CRYG? PEOPLE WILL FELY BE CRYG AT THE END OF THIS ONE.”THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN UPDATED.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR“IT’S RAG TEENS” AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?THE BT TV SHOWS OF 2023, SO FARSEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM, AND THE ORIG OF BARBIETHAT SOUND YOU HEAR IS DONALD TMP SCREAMG, CRYG, AND THROWG UP A MAR-A-LAGO BATHROOMIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI THE ACTORS STRIKE PRS APOLYPSE: “THE CELEBRY FACTORY HAS SHUT DOWN”IS ALL THIS AMATR THERAPY-SPEAK JT MAKG US LONELIER?FROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)PL CHI

Me unr fire for s ial silence regardg a Florida bill rtrictg classroom discsn of sexual orientatn and genr inty — dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” by crics.

Durg the tumult, Pixar employe lled out Disney executiv for cuttg “nearly every moment of overtly gay affectn” om the animatn stud’s films.

DISNEY RTOR SAME-GENR ‘LIGHTYEAR’ KISS FOLLOWG “DON’T SAY GAY” BACKLASH

More:Disney CEO fally speaks out on 'Don't Say Gay.

' But where's the gay Disney fairy tale?

The same-sex kiss first ma headl last month, when Pixar animators spoke out agast Disney an open letter obtaed by Variety, sayg that rporate executiv had mand cuts "om nearly every moment of overtly gay affectn. But was later rtored light of Disney's "Don't Say Gay" ntroversy, when was revealed the pany had donated roughly $200, 000 to Republin policians who supported the bill, which forbids discsns of sexual orient elementary school classrooms. "Other live-actn Disney films have relegated queer characters to the background, like a blk-and-you'll-miss- kiss between two women "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, " or the "exclively gay moment" of Josh Gad's LeFou dancg wh another man "Bety and the Beast.

SAME-SEX KISS RTORED PIXAR’S ‘LIGHTYEAR’ FOLLOWG STAFF UPROAR OVER ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ BILL (EXCLUSIVE)

: It was ially cut om the film, then rtored after ternal uproar when was revealed Disney had donated $200, 000 to Republin policians who supported Florida's “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which forbids discsns of sexual orientatn elementary school Chris Evans' Buzz is more fantastic than plastic Pixar's spiffy 'Lightyear'The iendship between Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Chris Evans) and his manr Alisha Hawthorne (Uzo Aduba) is at the heart of "Lightyear. ': Chris Evans on 'Lightyear, ' playg bad guys and beg 'a romantic person'In March, the kiss was rtored after Pixar animators spoke out agast Disney  an open letter obtaed by Variety, sayg executiv had mand cuts "om nearly every moment of overtly gay affectn.

Playg a character like Alisha a high-profile movie the wake of “Don’t Say Gay” and other siar legislatn “means everythg, ” Aduba adds.