GLAAD has finally gotten their way, and Disney is giving the LGBTQ community what it has been wanting for a while now. A truly gay Disney character. As it stands, March is going to be a massive month for movies. WithKong: Skull Island,LoganandPower Rangersall set to debut this month, there will be plenty of reasons to get off the couch and head to a theater near you. As excited as people are for many of the major releases coming out this month, Disney is likely going to run away with it when their live-action version ofBeauty and the Beastcomes out. Anticipation for the movie has been insanely high but now it has been revealed that the movie will have quite a bit of significance beyond box office dominance. It turns outBeauty and the Beastis going to feature thefirst gay characterever in a Disney movie.
DirectorBill Condonwas recently interviewed by Attitude about the upcomingBeauty and the Beastand he made it very clear; the movie will feature Disney’s first ever “exclusively gay moment” in a movie. The moment will be betweenLe Fou, who is played byJosh Gadand Gaston, who is being played byLuke Evans. Here is whatBill Condonhad to say about it.
“Le Fou is somebody who on one day wants to be Gaston and on another day wants to kiss Gaston. He’s confused about what he wants. It’s somebody who’s just realizing that he has these feelings. And Josh makes something really subtle and delicious out of it. And that’s what has its pay-off at the end, which I don’t want to give away. But it is a nice, exclusively gay moment in aDisney movie.”
On one hand, this feels like something that has been a long time coming, butBeauty and the Beastfeels like a very good place for it. A movie like this isn’t likely to suffer at all at the box office with the inclusion of this “exclusively gay moment.” Disney is at the very top of its game and is more popular than it has ever been. BetweenStar Wars, the Marvel Cinematic Universe and their live-action remakes, not to mention Pixar and their wildly popular original animated features likeZootopia, they are experiencing unprecedented levels of success in the industry. So the decision to include something like this inBeauty and the Beastis significant. Being that Attitude is a gay magazine, their editor-in-chiefMatt Cainfelt so as well and had this to say about it.
“It may have been a long time coming but this is a watershed moment for Disney. By representing same-sex attraction in this short but explicitly gay scene, the studio is sending out a message that this is normal and natural - and this is a message that will be heard in every country of the world, even countries where it’s still socially unacceptable or even illegal to be gay. It’s only a first step towards creating a cinematic world that reflects the one in which many of us are now proud to live. But it’s a step in the right direction and I applaud Disney for being brave enough to make it - and in doing so hopefully helping to change attitudes and bring about real social progress.”
Not only is this new version ofBeauty and the Beastgoing to feature La Fou as a gay character, butEmma Watsonalso talked with the publication a bit about the “underlying queer sensibility” that exists with her character Belle andDan Stevens' Beast. Disney apparently wasn’t afraid to letBill Condonincluded these themes in the movie beyond a single moment. Here is what she had to say about it.
“I think it was really important for Dan and I to develop and understand why each of our characters feel as if they don’t fit in. I certainly felt watching the original that I wanted to know more about why Belle feels that she’s different and why she wants to be different and why she’s naturally different.”
Thecast for Beauty and the BeastincludesEmma Watson,Dan Stevens,Luke Evans,Kevin Kline,Josh Gad,Ewan McGregor,Stanley Tucci,Audra McDonald,Ian McKellenandEmma Thompson. In addition to Oscar-winnerBill Condonin the director’s chiar, Oscar-winning composerAlan Menkenis returning to do the music for this new live-action version, since he also composed the score for the original animated movie. Disney’sBeauty and the Beastis set for release on March 10.
