NBCUniversal

Elias Anton and Thom Green as Kol and Adam in Of An Age
Elias Anton and Thom Green as Kol and Adam in Of An Age

SUMMARY

Considering the quality, quantity, and diversity of films distributed under the NBCUniversal banner, GLAAD has given Universal a FAIR grade.

There were standout LGBTQ-inclusive features from Universal’s slate this year, including horror film Knock at the Cabin, which featured a gay couple and their child, and children’s film Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken, which casually included queer teenagers in the cast. Focus Features included queer drama Of an Age and nonbinary representation in family comedy My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Sadly, there was no LGBTQ representation on streamer Peacock.

There were multiple films in Universal’s slate, including Strays and Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain, which contained jokes about the community and references to the LGBTQ community, with no substantial content. GLAAD urges Universal to include more LGBTQ characters than jokes in their comedy films.

HISTORY

Universal Pictures was founded in 1912, making it one of the oldest film studios in the United States. Universal merged with NBC in 2004, which was then purchased by Comcast in 2011. NBCUniversal owns Focus Features—a film production and distribution company that was founded by USA Films, Universal Focus, and Good Machine in 2002. In 2016, Universal acquired Dreamworks Animation from 20th Century, releasing their first film under that umbrella in 2019. Universal’s previous releases are primarily mass appeal films such as Jaws, E.T., the Bourne series, and the ongoing Fast and Furious franchise.

Universal’s LGBTQ representation has continuously ebbed and flowed since the 90s, as shown in films such as To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995), Mulholland Drive (2001), I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (2007), Bruno (2009), Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010), Kick-Ass 2 (2013), Riddick (2013), Legend (2015), Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2016), Blockers (2018), Last Christmas and Good Boys (2019), Freaky (2020), and Dear Evan Hansen (2021). In 2022, Universal released GLAAD Media Award winner Bros and GLAAD Media Award nominee Nope. Focus Features has released a variety of LGBTQ-inclusive films, such as GLAAD Media Award winners Brokeback Mountain (2005), Milk (2008), The Kids Are Alright (2010), Pariah (2011), Boy Erased (2018); GLAAD Media Award nominees Kajillionaire (2020), Tár (2022), and Spoiler Alert (2022).

OF THE 6 LGBTQ FILMS,

3 WERE UNIVERSAL PICTURES

3 WERE FOCUS FEATURES

0 WERE PEACOCK

Considering the quality, quantity, and diversity of films distributed under NBCUniversal and its labels, GLAAD has given NBCUniversal a FAIR grade.

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Fast X

Widest Theatrical Release: 4,088 Theaters

Vito Russo Test: FAIL

The tenth film in the Fast and Furious franchise, as with previous nine films in the series, does not have any LGBTQ representation. The villain of the film, Dante, is a straight man who is clearly interested in women, yet presents more femininely than the other men in the film. At one point he states “it tones down the masculinity a bit, which I think we all need these days” while painting a corpse’s nails. It is disheartening to see that this questioning of masculinity is only seen in the villain of the film, while the heroic characters are firm in their gender roles, especially in a franchise that has never featured LGBTQ characters.

Knock at the Cabin

Widest Theatrical Release: 3,657 Theaters

Vito Russo Test: PASS

Knock at the CabinThis thriller from director M. Night Shyamalan, with a GLAAD List screenplay by Steve Desmond and Michael Sherman, follows a family that goes to a remote cabin on vacation, only for disaster to strike. The two fathers, Eric and Andrew, and their seven-year-old daughter, Wen, are faced with intruders who tell them that their family must kill one of their own to prevent the apocalypse. Eric and Andrew adamantly refuse, until the intruders show how their arrival and the plagues of the apocalypse are all intertwined. During this drawn out negotiation, the audience is shown flashbacks of Eric and Andrew withstanding homophobia as a couple, from a casual night out to when they adopted Wen. It also turns out that one of the intruders previously attacked Andrew in a homophobic incident in a bar. Eventually, back in the present, Eric believes the intruders and offers himself up as a sacrifice, telling his husband that they were selected for this sacrifice because of their love for each other. Andrew, though he does not want to, kills Eric, preventing the end of the world.

It is rare to see a gay couple, let alone gay parents, as the lead of a popular horror film. Though the story often delved into the trauma of the heroes, and ended with one of their untimely deaths, it is noteworthy that the queerness of leads was not only prominent, but also showcased their deep and true love. Ideally, this film and its financial success will lead to more queer couples as the protagonists of horror and thriller films.

Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken

Widest Theatrical Release: 3,408 Theaters

Vito Russo Test: PASS

Ruby GillmanThis animated family film follows the titular Ruby, a teenage girl who has to hide her identity as a kraken from her friends. One of her friends is Margot, a girl who, early on in the film, is excited because another girl, Kayla, asked her to prom. Margot is one of Ruby’s closest friends, thus a significant part of the film. In addition to Margot and Kayla, there are multiple queer couples featured in a montage of “promposals” throughout the film. No one ever bats an eye in regards to the LGBTQ inclusion. This is a prime example of casual inclusion in a children’s film: in this fantastical world, one of the most ordinary things is queer teenagers existing.

Strays

Widest Theatrical Release: 3,232 Theaters

Vito Russo Test: FAIL

This R-rated comedy follows three dogs on a journey back to one of their owners. In the process, there are mishaps and misadventures, as well as a barrage of filthy jokes, as is common in this genre. The dogs compliment each other’s penises, squirrels have a threesome, and another dog references “experimenting” with other female dogs. There is also a brief moment where a human teen boy propositions another boy and a girl at the same time. Overall, the film lacks any substantive representation and went for cheap jokes instead.

FOCUS FEATURES

Asteroid City

Widest Theatrical Release: 1,901 Theaters

Vito Russo Test: PASS 

Asteroid CityThis ensemble film from director Wes Anderson takes place inside a play that the audience also sees being written, directed, and performed. The writer of the play is Conrad Earp, and one of the lead actors is Jonas Hall. One of the behind the scenes moments of the play shows Hall auditioning for Earp, very much impressing him. After the audition, the lights go down, Hall takes off his clothes and the two kiss. This is the last the audience sees of the relationship between the two men. Later, the audience finds out that Earp died six months after the play, which is unfortunate, as he was one of the only gay characters in the film. Seeing casual inclusion with no judgment in a film set in the mid-20th century is a step in the right direction, but this story could have benefited from expansion.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3

Widest Theatrical Release: 3,678 Theaters

Vito Russo Test: PASS 

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3The third iteration of the My Big Fat Greek Wedding film franchise takes the whole Portokalos family to Greece. The majority of the film takes place in the small town of Vrisi, the family’s ancestral home. The mayor of Vrisi is Victory, a character who is nonbinary. Victory is at first seen as a failing mayor, due to the town’s dwindling population, but by the end, they prove themselves to be good at their job by throwing a town reunion, earning the respect of the Portokalos family. No characters have adverse reactions to Victory’s identity, and easily accept them as nonbinary. Including a nonbinary character who was both pivotal to the plot and accepted without question is an exciting step for a mainstream comedy.

Angelo, a cousin of the family, who is off screen most of the film, was confirmed as gay in My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2. He briefly mentions his partner, reconfirming his identity.

Of An Age

Widest Theatrical Release: 289 Theaters

Vito Russo Test: PASS 

Of an AgeOf an Age is an Australian queer romance that follows Kol, a young man who has a brief but intense affair with his friend’s brother. The film takes place in two parts: in the first, Kol is not yet out, and faces discrimination due to being a Serbian immigrant. When he meets Adam, his dance partner’s brother, the two bond as Adam is one of the first out gay people Kol has met. Their relationship turns romantic and sexual over the course of one night before Adam leaves for Argentina the next day. Their 24 hours together has effects into the future, as Kol sees Adam at a wedding years later, where he finds out that Adam has a husband. The two still have a connection, and the film ends with them holding each other, acknowledging the importance of their relationship. This romantic drama is a good example of leading with character first, and showing what can be difficult about growing up queer, yet still highlighting the joy and connection in the queer experience.

PEACOCK

Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain

Straight to Streaming Release

Vito Russo Test: FAIL

This film does not include LGBTQ characters, though it does contain a few references to the community. The film follows three best friends, and Martin is the member of the trio who often has insults lobbed at him, one being that he looks like a “bisexual mechanic.” There is also a running joke that he does not know what the word “bussy” means. There is another joke where a character talks about watching porn of popular animated characters including some same gender pairings. This film was also an instance of the villain being a more effeminate man. None of these jokes are particularly offensive, but it is disappointing to include references to the queer community, while having zero LGBTQ characters.

Documentary Film:

NBCUniversal and all its subsidiaries released six documentaries in 2023, one of which includes LGBTQ people in it. Every Body, is a documentary centered around the lives and experiences of River Gallo (they/them), Alicia Roth Weigel (she/they) and Sean Saifa Wall (he/him), three people born with intersex traits who also advocate on behalf of intersex people. One of the main focuses of the documentary is the medically unnecessary surgeries performed on intersex babies and children to make their bodies conform to the societal standard of what a body “should” look like. Every Body also takes a look at the personal lives of River, Alicia, and Saifa, including their experiences growing up intersex, their relationships with their families, their dating lives, and their mental health struggles. Additionally, the doc highlights the intersectional experiences that happen when a person with an intersex trait is also queer and/or transgender. This documentary is notable in that people with intersex traits are rarely represented in the mainstream media, and shedding light on the often overlooked discrimination faced by the intersex community is commendable.

OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD

Universal Studios released the action film Monkey Man earlier in 2024, which featured a number of transgender characters, known as hijra, in the temple of Ardhanarishvara. However, the most prominent hijra character was played, inexplicably, by a cisgender man. This inauthentic casting undercuts the impact of the film’s message. Upcoming animated film Dog Man features the character Harold, who is confirmed to be queer in the book series. Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is set to feature gay character Tom from the previous films, and presents an opportunity to further fill out the world with more LGBTQ characters. The upcoming film in the How to Train Your Dragon series will likely feature Gobber, who was confirmed as gay in a very subtle moment in the second film, and GLAAD is looking to see this expanded upon in the future of the franchise.

Focus Features released Drive Away Dolls in 2024, a raunchy queer comedy that follows two lesbian best friends as their spontaneous road trip goes wrong after they encounter a group of incompetent criminals. Focus also released Housekeeping for Beginners, which follows Dita, a woman who is forced to raise her girlfriend’s daughters even though she never wanted to be a mother. The next Downton Abbey film will see both Thomas Barrow, the gay butler, and Guy Dexter, a gay silent film actor, return, according to the cast list. Peacock is set to release Community: The Movie, which will feature queer character The Dean, played by out actor Jim Rash.

There are a number of upcoming NBCUniversal films that have LGBTQ actors in them and have the opportunity for inclusion, such as The Wild Robot, Nosferatu, With Love, Talent Show, and the upcoming Jurassic World film led by Jonathan Bailey.

For the purposes of this study, GLAAD is counting films distributed under Universal Pictures and Focus Features, as well as streamer Peacock, as one overall brand.

Summary of 2023 Findings

30

Total films released in 2023 under studio and official imprints

6

Total number of LGBTQ-inclusive films

20%

Percent of LGBTQ-inclusive films of studio total releases

5

Number of films that pass the Vito Russo Test

theatrical

23

Total theatrical films released in 2023 under studio and official imprints

6

Total number of theatrical LGBTQ inclusive films

26%

Percent of theatrical LGBTQ-inclusive films of studio theatrical releases

5

Number of theatrical films that pass the Vito Russo Test

streaming

7

Total streaming only films released in 2022 under studio and official imprints

0

Total number of streaming LGBTQ inclusive films

0%

Percent of LGBTQ-inclusive of studio total streaming releases

0

Number of streaming films that pass the Vito Russo Test

STUDIO RATING OVER TIME

2023

FAIR

2022

GOOD

2021

INSUFFICIENT

2020

N/A

2019

INSUFFICIENT

2018

GOOD

2017

INSUFFICIENT

2016

INSUFFICIENT

2015

ADEQUATE

2014

ADEQUATE

2013

ADEQUATE

2012

ADEQUATE

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The GLAAD Studio Responsibility Index (SRI) maps the quantity, quality and diversity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) characters in films released by eight major motion picture studios during the 2019 calendar year. GLAAD researched films released by Lionsgate, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, STX Films, United Artists Releasing, Universal Pictures, Walt Disney Studios and Warner Bros., as well as films released by four subsidiaries of these major studios. The report is intended to serve as a road map toward increasing fair, accurate and inclusive LGBTQ representation in film.

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