A theater in Oklahoma was going to try to censor Lightyear but has since backed off. The latest Pixar film stars Chris Evans as Buzz Lightyear and is the fictional movie that Andy saw in Toy Story that made him want to buy a Buzz Lightyear toy. Despite the Toy Story association, Lightyear has been a box office disappointment as it was beaten out by Jurassic World: Dominion for the number one spot at the box office on its opening weekend.
Aside from the disappointing box office, one element of Lightyear that has been making headlines is the presence of a same-sex kiss. The kiss is a brief moment between the character Alisha Hawthorne (Uzo Aduba) and her wife. The kiss was originally cut from Lightyear but was later reinstated by Pixar in response to Disney’s handling of Flordia’s Don’t Say Gay Bill, and Pixar staff reporting that Disney had tried to edit and tone down homosexual subtext in their films. The moment has caused a minor controversy with some parents not wanting it in a kids’ film.
One theater in Oklahoma tried to fast forward through the scene in Lightyear. According to CNN, the 89er Theater in Kingfisher put up a sign informing audiences about the same-sex kiss that read “The management of this theatre discovered after booking ‘Lightyear’ that there is a same-sex kissing scene within the first 30 minutes of the Pixar movie. We will do all we can to fast forward through that scene, but it might not be exact.” One of the theater owners, Barry Reid, later informed CNN that the sign was removed and that the scene had not been censored in any showings. Reid said in a statement:
“It was an internal mistake and it’s been corrected. It won’t happen again.”
Lightyear had already been banned in fourteen other film markets due to the same-sex kiss. Chris Evans commented on Pixar’s inclusion of the kiss in the film as a step forward in representation but hopes that it one day isn’t a news story but just accepted. The outcry from some audience members and the fact that the Oklahoma theater considered attempting to fast forward through the kiss shows that some are still not accepting of wider representation.
While Lightyear has been suffering at the box office, it is unlikely the kiss is a major factor, at least domestically. While Lightyear certainly could have used the benefit of the extra markets for its worldwide total, the more likely answer is Lightyear‘s marketing might have confused some audiences regarding its relation to the Toy Story franchise. Combine that with added competition from Jurassic World: Dominion and Top Gun: Maverick, and audiences knowing Lightyear will head to Disney+ in 45 days, the simplest solution is likely the answer. Now the question is what lessons will Disney take from Lightyear‘s box office performance.
