Disney's Pixar has broken down conventional barriers and introduced its first non-binary character in its latest ground-breaking animation, Elemental.
The new movie takes place in the mystical Element City, a place where residents representing fire, water, earth, and air harmoniously co-exist.
Starring a star-studded voice cast, Elemental features Leah Lewis as the audacious Ember Lumen and Mamoudou Athie as the vivacious Wade Ripple. However, the movie is now being praised for introducing the character Lake - Wade's younger sibling - who proudly uses they/them pronouns.
Lake is voiced by Ava Hauser, who identifies as non-binary. Hauser recently took to Twitter to celebrate this landmark moment, marking their role as the first non-binary character in a Pixar film.
"BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! I got to play Pixar's first non-binary character. Meet Lake," Hauser excitedly shared with fans.
In response, Hauser was flooded with praise and support from Twitter users, with one person replying: "Congratulations on landing yourself the role in this film, and I’m watching this film sometimes over the weekend. Wishing you the absolute best buddy for your future!"
"That’s incredible," another person added. "Sooo happy for you and can’t wait to hear you in it!"
A third supporter tweeted: "Wait... I'm suddenly glued to the chair. Guess Im seated for this movie. Will be watching."
The alluring world of Element City is brought to life by a captivating voice cast, including Ronnie del Carmen, Shila Ommi, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Catherine O'Hara, Mason Wertheimer, and Joe Pera.
Elemental follows the lives of Ember and Wade, and their eccentric friendship, all while challenging Ember's preconceived notions about their unique world.
Pete Docter, Pixar's chief creative officer, could hardly contain his excitement over the movie, saying, per the Daily Mail: "Directed by the extraordinary storyteller Peter Sohn, Elemental is so funny, full of heart and, frankly, stunning to see. It was created for audiences to experience on the big screen, and I love that it'll make its world premiere at Cannes."
Despite these exciting leaps forward, Elemental has seen a rather disappointing start at the box office, becoming Pixar's second-lowest debut. Reuters reports that the movie has opened with earnings of around $30 million at US and Canadian box offices over its opening weekend.
The movie added a further $15 million from overseas markets for a global total of $45 million from Friday through Sunday.
Nevertheless, this creative milestone for Pixar - embracing a more diverse representation in its storytelling - truly underlines the elemental shift taking place in animation and cinema. We love to see it!
