Pride Month is here, which of course means there’s a lot more rainbow-colored posts are being shared social media by celebrities and such. However, let’s not forget at its core, the month is about uplifting LGBTQ+ people. Laika Studios highlighted the visibility of queer folks in its own way by finally introducing fans to the boyfriend of the Mitch’s boyfriend teased in 2012’s ParaNorman. And, following this sweet reveal, I’m going to need the studio to make a sequel involving the gay couple.
Laika Reveals Mitch’s Boyfriend From ParaNorman
Over a decade ago, the stop-motion-centric studio did something unprecedented. The filmmakers had the jock character Mitch (voiced by Casey Affleck), who the cheerleader Courtney (Anna Kendrick) pined pining over, reveal at the end of the film that he has a boyfriend. However, viewers didn't actually get to meet him, until now! Check out the YouTube video below:
As ParaNorman writer/director Chris Butler shared in the video, when he was crafting the film's story, he thought of the movie as a more subversive take on Scooby-Doo. With that, Mitch and Courtney were essentially Butler's take on Fred and Daphne. And, in that context, he decided it would make sense if Mitch were gay. Butler said another reason behind the creative decision was also due to the movie's key theme of “not judging a book by its cover.”
In the video, Butler enlisted Principal Character Designer Thibault Leclercq and Laika Development Art Director Iuri Lioi to imagine Mitch’s boyfriend, and it turned out so well! As Butler put it: “Coutney is going to be so annoyed!”
So... Can We Get A ParaNorman Sequel?
Laika has made a lot of good movies over the years, from Coraline to Kubo and the Two Strings. Yet, with ParaNorman, not only did the company make another sweet horror movie kids can watch but one that also involves LGBTQ+ representation. Other studios like Disney, for example, hasn’t included many queer characters in its movies and queer representation on TV has also been decreasing, per analysis that's been conducted. So while it’s great that Laika is celebrating pride with Mitch’s boyfriend, now I need to see a sequel with the two characters in it.
The first movie is all about Norman, an 11-year-old who finds out he can speak to the dead, and I think there's plenty of sequel potential given that premise. I’d love to see Mitch and his boyfriend interact in the aftermath of Courtney finding out about their relationship. I also think the world Chris Butler created is rich enough to have another horror-inspired adventure involving the supernatural elements that surround the town of Blithe Hollow, Massachusetts.
Another ParaNorman movie with Mitch and his BF would be a nice addition among new LGBTQ+ movies. At the very least though, I'm pleased that Laika gifted fans with this reveal to celebrate Pride Month. The studio’s next movie is called Wildwood, and it's set to hit theaters sometime in 2026.
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