Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker closed out Disney’s new Star Wars trilogy at the end of last year, and featured a gay kiss between two characters that was promoted as an example of positive representation on the silver screen. Eight months later, The New Mutants is hitting theaters for the first time as well, and its director has some choice words for that particular Star Wars moment.
Josh Boone, the director of The New Mutants, referred to the scene as “the most embarrassing” example he could think of when it comes to queer representation. The scene was heavily criticized by several groups when the film released, arguing that the kiss, which happened between two unnamed characters in the background of a celebration, was simply an insincere attempt at pandering. Other criticism pointed out that the kiss was shot in a way that would make it very easy to cut out for international markets, which sometimes balk at any representation of LGBTQ characters.
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Boone himself added to this criticism recently, remarking that “It was just somebody in the background and [the filmmakers] were like, ‘We’ll put out articles as if this is something you should pay attention to.’” He also added that his own movie would have a gay love story, calling it “the first one at Disney for sure.” Contrary to the perfunctory inclusion in Star Wars, Boone assures audiences that The New Mutants will be different, arguing: “It has a gay love story… one of the first superhero movies that really has one that’s an integral part of the plot and story and the whole thing hangs on it.”
The romance is between two of the film’s main characters, namely Rahen Sinclair and Danielle Moonstar, whose relationship will play a central role in the story, according to Boone. By making the character’s romance as a more important part of the narrative, he hopes to create representation that will be more meaningful to audiences. “I hope this would reach some people and for young women out there who are gay and don’t see representation in a big movie, it’s like, you guys can dress up at Halloween and hold hands and be them and that’s awesome.” If he succeeds, perhaps The New Mutants can be what Boone believes Star Wars could have achieved.
The New Mutants is in theaters now.
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Source: IndieWire
