Pixar's film Elio, about an 11-year-old boy mistaken for an ambassador by aliens, initially contained queer-coded elements. Directing staff, including Adrian Molina, faced pushback from studio executives regarding these themes. Scenes expressing Elio's potential queer identity, such as decoratively showcasing male crushes and a performance indicating creativity and self-expression, were revised or removed. Test screenings indicated a lack of audience interest in the original version, leading to significant changes before the film's release, along with the departure of Molina and America Ferrera due to dissatisfaction with the studio's direction on character representation.
It was pretty clear through the production of the first version of the film that [studio leaders] were constantly sanding down these moments in the film that alluded to Elio's sexuality of being queer.
One of the scenes in question included a shot of Elio's bedroom that displayed pictures of potential male crushes.
Another was a scene of Elio performing a 'trash-ion show' for a hermit crab, showing off a pink tank top he made out of recyclable materials.
Ferrera followed a few days later, reportedly because she was 'upset that there was so much pushback on Elio's identity.'
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