Twentieth Century Fox’s quietly groundbreaking Love, Simon had a gay protagonist, and proved to be a major hit with critics and audiences alike. Moonlight won Best Picture at the Oscars last year. So things are starting to look up for queer characters in mainstream cinema, right?
Well, maybe not quite. Universal Pictures’ Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom was reportedly set to feature a lesbian main character, but ultimately all references to her sexuality ended up on the cutting room floor.
Daniella Pineda joins the cast in the franchise’s fifth entry, playing paleo-veterinarian Dr. Zia Rodriguez. In a recent interview with Yahoo Entertainment chat, Pineda revealed that early in the film Zia makes the perilous trek to Isla Nublar to rescue some dinosaurs as a volcano erupts. She and Chris Pratt’s Owen are riding together in a military vehicle when she asserts her immunity to his considerable charms.
“I look at Chris and I’m like: ‘Yeah, square jaw, good bone structure, tall, muscles. I don’t date men, but if I did, it would be you. It would gross me out, but I’d do it.’”
She continues:
“I’m looking at Chris Pratt, the hottest guy in the world, and I’m like, ‘It would gross me out, but I guess I would do it!’ It was also cool because it was a little insight into my character. But they cut it.”
Pineda says the creative team of director J.A. Bayona and co-writer/producer Colin Trevorrow were originally all-in for the reveal, but the scene was removed for time as the original cut of the movie was “too long.”
All eyes are on the Blu-Ray release now, for a certain deleted scene. The next Jurassic tentpole is slated for 2021. Will Dr. Zia get a female love interest?
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom has received mixed reviews from critics, but it's already taken a huge bite out of the overseas box office. It opens stateside on Thursday night.
Yahoo Interview: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/jurassic-world-fallen-kingdom-star-daniella-pinedas-lesbian-reveal-cut-film-183618705.html?guccounter=1