New Pixar film Onward banned in four countries for featuring gay character
The fantasy comedy stars Chris Pratt and Tom Holland in the lead roles
Pixar's latest animated adventure Onward has been banned in four countries for featuring a gay character.
The movie is set in a fantasy world following two elf brothers as they attempt to bring their late father back to life using a magical spell.
They set off on an adventure, meeting several memorable characters along the way, including a female police officer who makes reference to looking after a child with her girlfriend.
Although the moment is only brief, Deadline reports that the film has been banned in Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, where LGBT rights are still heavily restricted.
In Russia, the film has been released but the word 'girlfriend' has been replaced with the word 'partner'.
Lena Waithe provides the voice for the character in question, known to audiences from Aziz Ansari's Master of None and as writer-director of Queen & Slim.
Speaking to Variety, Waithe revealed that it was her idea to include the line: "I said, ‘Can I say the word girlfriend, is that cool?’ I was just like, ‘It sounds weird. I even have a gay voice, I think. I don’t think I sound right saying husband.'"
"They were like, ‘Oh yeah, do that.’ They were so cool and chill. And it ended up being something special."
Onward is out now in cinemas
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.