SUMMARY
Considering the quality, quantity, and diversity of films distributed under the NBCUniversal banner, GLAAD has rated NBCUniversal as FAIR.
NBCUniversal, specifically Focus Features, included strong LGBTQ representation in its slate. There were over 20 LGBTQ characters in Drive-Away Dolls, most of them women, and the GLAAD Media Award-nominated Macedonian film Housekeeping for Beginners showed a queer chosen family. The rest of NBCUniversal presents more of a mixed bag. Universal Pictures released Monkey Man, a film that included a significant trans Hijra character in an important role, but sadly cast a cisgender actor to play the part. Universal also released the blockbuster musical Wicked, which included Pfannee, a gay character in the supporting ensemble who is friends with co-lead Glinda, a role GLAAD hopes to see expanded upon in the upcoming sequel Wicked: For Good. As with the previous study, there were no LGBTQ characters counted in Peacock original films this year.
HISTORY
Founded in 1912, Universal Pictures is one of the oldest film studios in the United States. In 2004, Universal merged with NBC, which was then purchased by Comcast in 2011. NBCUniversal proceeded to acquire Dreamworks Animation in 2016, releasing their first film under that umbrella in 2019. NBCUniversal launched its streaming service, Peacock, in 2020. NBCUniversal’s release’s have historically been mass appeal films including titles like Jaws, E.T., and the Bourne and Fast and the Furious franchises.
Universal did not release any LGBTQ-inclusive films until the 1990s, with the 1991 adaptation of Fried Green Tomatoes, though the film excluded the majority of the novel’s lesbian content. The company’s LGBTQ representation has fluctuated over the years, but some highlights of the past few decades include To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995), Mulholland Drive (2001), Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010), Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2016), Blockers (2018), Good Boys (2019), Freaky (2020), Dear Evan Hansen (2021), GLAAD Media Award winner Bros (2022), and GLAAD Media Award nominees Nope (2022) and Knock at the Cabin (2023), which was adapted from a GLAAD List script.
Focus Features has released several notable 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, and Spoiler Alert (2022); in addition to Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022), Of an Age, and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 (2023).
This action-thriller follows Kid, who goes on a mission of revenge against the corrupt government and a guru who massacred his village when he was a child. At one point during his quest, Kid’s life is saved by Alpha, the leader of a temple devoted to Ardhanarishvara that is a sanctuary for the Hijra. In India, Hijra have existed for centuries as people assigned male at birth who live outside the traditional gender binary. Alpha is instrumental in helping Kid understand his trauma, and is a key figure in the film, along with the other Hijra warriors. Although it’s powerful to see of transgender South Asian characters with their own agency, the actor who plays Alpha is a well-known actor who is a cisgender man. Casting cisgender actors to play transgender people is dangerous and harmful, perpetuating a false and offensive narrative that transgender people are not who they say they are. It is highly disappointing that this interesting and empowering storyline is undermined by this inauthentic casting. Recent films and TV shows made in India have cast trans women actors to play trans characters. There’s no reason Monkey Man couldn’t have done this as well.
This comedy follows two best friends, the uptight Marian and free-spirited Jamie, as their road trip to Tallahassee goes awry due to a mysterious package in the trunk of their rental car. Both Marian and Jamie are lesbians, and the cast has many other lesbian characters including Jamie’s ex-girlfriend, multiple women Jamie sleeps with, and at one point a whole lesbian soccer team that spends an evening with the main characters. Marian and Jamie fall for each other over the course of their adventure and end the film together planning to start a new life in Florida. The film is overall extremely queer and allows lesbian characters to lead the story in an unabashed comedy where they are in on the joke.
This drama set in North Macedonia follows the ups and downs of a found family during a tumultuous time. Protagonist Dita’s house has become a place for many displaced queer people to live, including Dita’s girlfriend Suada and her two daughters. When Suada dies, Dita must find a way to keep custody of Suada’s kids and to make that happen she marries Toni, a gay man who lives in the house. The house is also home to Ali, a younger gay man, and Elena, Flora, and Teuta, three queer women. This film shows queer people of many genders and ages, showcasing their complicated relationships to one another and their own families, and how they push through grief.
