Why Oscar-nominated 'Nimona' Promotes Inclusiveness - And Can Be Seen On Youtube
Image Source: Catsuka (via X)
The animated film Nimona has had a very lengthy and intense journey from its webcomic debut in 2012 to the release of its animated adaptation on Netflix in 2023. After years of delay and being outright cancelled when Blue Sky Animation was shuttered by Disney in 2021, the film has proven its resilience, and in doing so has become widely praised for its diversity and themes of inclusion and acceptance, and now the film has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, beating all odds stacked against the movie.
Nimona, at its core, is a celebration of inclusivity and diversity, as is to be expected from series creator N.D. Stevenson, who was also the showrunner of the critically acclaimed animated series She-Ra & The Princesses of Power, another behemoth of a series that drew countless viewers in with its openly queer characters and storylines. Much of what fans loved about SPOP is on full display in Nimona, with the titular character being a shapeshifting teenage girl who partners up with a gay knight to clear his name after being framed for murder.
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Image Source: Netflix
While the film, directed by Nick Bruno and Troy Quane, takes some slight creative liberties from its source material, it ultimately strengthens the characters and story, painting a picture of the experiences faced by many in the LGBT community as institutions of power actively seek to disenfranchise, delegitimize and outright vilify those within them because of what they are, making for an incredibly heartfelt experience for anyone who views the film, allowing its themes of compassion and understanding towards others to shine through and hold great power in them.
It must also be made known that the film underwent extensive rewrites upon being acquired by Annapurna Pictures, allowing for the film’s queer themes to become far more prevalent than they might have been when in production under Disney, who doesn’t exactly have the greatest track record when it comes to queer characters in storytelling.
The film’s themes of inclusion have resonated with much of the audience, and with the Academy as well, as Nimona now stands tall alongside films like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and The Boy and the Heron. To celebrate the film’s Oscar nomination, Netflix has made Nimona available to watch on YouTube for free for a limited time, so for anyone who has yet to check this movie out (and doesn’t have a Netflix subscription), now’s the perfect time.
Check out the full movie here:
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Source(s): ScreenDaily, The Verge
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