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Disney’s animated film Strange World set to feature the studio’s first gay teen romance

Disney appears to be committing to a gay teen romance in their upcoming film.

By Emily Maskell

Words: Emily Maskell; Pictures: Disney

Disney’s upcoming film Strange World is set to feature the studio’s first openly gay teen romance. 

Disney announced the project in an Instagram post last year but new details have recently emerged about the plot and characters of Don Hall’s seemingly charming movie. 

 
 
 
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The film will follow three generations of the adventurous Clade family as they embark on a journey to “uncharted and treacherous land where fantastical creatures await.”

According to Variety, a clip screened from Strange World at France’s Annecy Animation Festival showcased a scene involving the aforementioned romance. 

In the scene, Ethan Clade flirts with school heartthrob Diazo while his friends from school look on, teasing in a friendly and warm-hearted way.

The sequence continues with Ethan appearing embarrassed at his dad’s overeager show of acceptance.

The sweet nature of the scene was also confirmed by animator Matthieu Saghezchi on Twitter. 

Saghezchi shared: “Just saw the very first glimpse into #Disney’s #StrangeWorld at the #Annecy2022 festival – it features the first openly gay teen romance in a disney feature!!! #RepresentationMatters.”

About the screened clip, Saghezchi wrote: “The scene describes the son being very shy in front of his boy crush, and his dad comes in and says ‘so nice to meet you! my son talks about you all the time’ and further embarrasses his son… very cute.”

Voicing the film’s animated characters, so far Jake Gyllenhaal, Dennis Quaid, Lucy Liu, Gabrielle Union, and Jaboukie Young-White have been officially attached to the project. The latter voices Ethan Clade.

This openly romantic LGBTQ storyline in Disney’s Strange World follows the studio’s refusal to cut a same-sex kiss in Lightyear, a decision that led to the film being banned in over 14 countries.

Check out the trailer for Strange World below. The film arrives on 23 November 2022.

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