Pixar reportedly changed aspects of Riley’s character in Inside Out 2 due to the backlash against Lightyear‘s same-sex kiss between Alisha and her spouse, Kiko. When the trailers for Inside Out 2 were released, there was speculation about Riley being gay and romantically interested in Val, but this possibility was not explored in the sequel. This has led to discourse about the Pixar film’s lack of explicit LGBTQIA+ representation despite teasing it.
According to sources who spoke with IGN, edits were made to depict Riley as “less gay” due to fears grounded in Lightyear‘s backlash and box office disappointment. This included an emphasis on making Riley and Val’s relationship as platonic as possible and even adjusting the lighting of certain scenes to avoid any connotations of “romantic chemistry” and “doing a lot of extra work to make sure that no one would potentially see them as not straight.” Another source says this is because Pixar’s leadership mistakenly believe “Lightyear was a financial failure because it had a queer kiss in it.”
What This Means For Pixar’s Future
Better Representation Is Needed
Pixar’s movies have featured a few openly LGBTQIA+ characters prior to Inside Out 2, with Lightyear‘s Alisha being the most prominent, although she passes away relatively early in the story. Onward features a minor character named Officer Specter who mentions her girlfriend’s daughter, and Wade’s younger brother in Elemental, Lake, is Pixar’s first non-binary character. Inside Out 2 could have been the first confirmed instance of a Pixar movie protagonist being LGBTQIA+ if the story committed to Riley being gay.
They have tried to walk a fine line between including minor LGBTQIA+ characters while not committing to these characters or their identities being a significant part of the story.
As positive as Inside Out 2‘s box office record-breaking success is for Pixar and for Disney, shying away from even implying that Riley is gay casts a negative light on the studios. They have tried to walk a fine line between including minor LGBTQIA+ characters while not committing to these characters or their identities being a significant part of the story. This line can only be walked for so long, and Disney and Pixar will eventually need to have better follow-through on improved representation in this area.
Our Take On Inside Out 2’s Behind-The-Scene Changes
It Is Disappointing, But Unfortunately, Not Surprising
Given the history of previous Disney and Pixar movies, I did not expect Riley to be confirmed as gay. Nevertheless, it is incredibly disappointing to hear that even the smallest suggestions of this were erased, and that these changes were justified because of Lightyear‘s lackluster box office performance. Lightyear‘s challenges and Inside Out 2‘s success have little to do with their LGBTQIA+ representation or lack thereof. The biggest issue with Lightyear was its poor marketing that made the movie’s relationship to the previous Toy Story movies needlessly convoluted.
Inside Out 2 has made more than $1.6 billion and is the eighth highest-grossing movie of all time.
Inside Out 2 had a more comprehensive, creative, and clearer approach to its marketing. Along with benefiting as the direct sequel of a beloved film, it told a story about adolescence and anxiety that can be enjoyed and understood by all ages. I worry that these elements will not be factored into Pixar’s discussions of why Inside Out 2 performed far better than Lightyear, and that the studio will still refuse to commit to openly LGBTQIA+ characters at the center of their stories. Hopefully, I will be proven during Pixar’s upcoming movies and television series.
Source: IGN
