“Out,” a short film that features Pixar’s first gay main character, was released Friday on Disney+.
The computer animation studio, owned by Disney, premiered the film on the Disney+ streaming service through its SparkShorts series. It follows the story of a man named Greg who struggles with coming out to his parents before moving in with his boyfriend, Manuel.
Disney+ announced the “heartwarming” tale on its Twitter account along with the short’s trailer. Take a look at it below:
The latest heartwarming tale from @Pixar’s #SparkShorts. Start streaming Out tomorrow on #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/gRvBEdK1Iw
— Disney+ (@disneyplus) May 21, 2020
“Out” was directed by Steven Clay Hunter, known for animating “Finding Nemo” and “WALL-E,” among other Pixar films. Max Sachar, known for his work on “Coco” and “Toy Story 3” produced the short.
In March, Bob Chapek, CEO of the Walt Disney Company, shut down a critic who claimed that the company is losing money because its products “promote LGBT ideology.” Chapek stated that the company wants “to tell stories that our audience wants to hear that reflects their lives.”
Walt Disney Studios has been stepping up its LGBTQ representation recently by including LGBTQ storylines in films including “Avengers: Endgame” and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” It also recently made history with “Onward,” an animated film that features a lesbian character voiced by Lena Waithe.
A number of upcoming Disney projects are also slated to include LGBTQ characters, including “The Eternals” and “Thor: Love and Thunder.”