Disney+ release Pixar short featuring first gay main character

26 May 2020, 17:23

The official trailer for Out on Disney+

By Sophie Thompson

Pixar's Out is a new short film coming to Disney+, featuring the studio's first main LGBTQ+ character and follows the story of Greg, who is gearing up to move in with his boyfriend, but has not yet come out as gay to his parents.

Given current social distancing guidelines, we're all totally hooked on Disney+ right now, and things are about to get even better, because a short film by Pixar featuring the studio's first openly gay main character has just launched on the platform.

Aptly named Out, directed by Steven Clay Hunter, the animated film which forms part of their #SparkShorts series, follows the story of Greg, a guy who's getting ready to move in with his boyfriend and settle down - except he hasn't quite told his parents that he's gay just yet.

They surprise him by coming to help him move into his new city life, and with some help from his dog initiating his truth being revealed. The tagline of the film reads "Greg might learn that he has nothing to hide."

It'll dive into Greg's experience of coming out as an LGBTQ+ person, and was inspired by true events, as well as events that many people in that situation have faced.

Hit play on the video at the top of this page to watch the trailer.

Released on May 22 and only nine minutes long, Out follows Pixar's previous animation Onward, which featured a lesbian character voiced by Lena Waithe, which faced backlash after she was given such a minor character in the story.

Toy Story, Black Panther and Disney Channel original Andi Mack have also had LGBTQ+ scenes, but Out is the first time that the story has revolved around a gay couple.

Of course, despite the fact there is still a long way to go in Hollywood when it comes to representation in all its forms, people are living for companies as major as Disney taking a step in the right direction...

The #SparkShorts series aims to “discover new storytellers, explore new storytelling techniques, and experiment with new production workflows.”

Pixar president Jim Morris said of their importance: “These films are unlike anything we’ve ever done at Pixar, providing an opportunity to unlock the potential of individual artists and their inventive filmmaking approaches on a smaller scale than our normal fare.”

Is this about to be a game-changer for Disney? We sure hope so!

Out is now streaming on Disney+.

READ MORE: QUIZ: How gay are you, really?