Creators of 2012’s Academy Award-nominated animation ParaNorman are teasing a new 3D stop-motion film, The Boxtrolls, in a trailer that emphasizes families come in all shapes and sizes. The movie appears to follow ParaNorman‘s footsteps by highlighting gay characters. Near the end of ParaNorman, the film reveals Mitch is gay. The revelation in a children’s movie angered some viewers, while others praised the inclusion. Unlike this new trailer for The Boxtrolls (watch above), trailers for ParaNorman didn’t acknowledge a gay character. “Sometimes there’s a mother, sometimes there’s a father, sometimes there’s a father and a father, sometimes both fathers are mothers,” explained the narrator of The Boxtrolls trailer. Other times, orphaned children, like the boy named Eggs in this movie, are raised by Boxtrolls — “underground cavern-dwelling community of quirky and lovable oddballs who wear recycled cardboard boxes the way turtles wear their shells.” The Boxtrolls is based on Alan Snow’s fantasy adventure novel Here Be Monsters from 2005. “The Boxtrolls is a visually dazzling mash-up of gripping detective story, absurdist comedy, and steampunk adventure with a surprisingly wholesome heart,” Travis Knight, CEO of stop-motion animation studio Laika, said when announcing the flick in February. The movie arrives in theaters in September 2014. “The Boxtrolls is a moving and human story with timelessness and powerful emotional resonance,” he added. “We’re thrilled to partner with Focus Features and Universal to bring this remarkable story to family audiences around the world.” BONUS: 9 Gay Leaders Making a Difference in Technology 9 Gay Leaders Making a Difference in Technology 1. Chris Hughes One of the co-founders of Facebook, Hughes left the company in 2007 to become director of online organizing for Barack Obama’s first presidential campaign. In 2010, the entrepreneur founded Juno, a social network aimed at connecting users interested in social good and activism. Currently, Hughes is the publisher and editor in chief of The New Republic, a progressive political commentary magazine. Hughes married partner Sean Eldridge, president of investment fund Hudson River Ventures and LGBT equality advocate, in June 2012. Image courtesy of Facebook, Chris Hughes 2. Peter Sisson Sisson founded telecommunications company Toktumi in 2008. The company is known for its successful app, Line2, a VoIP service that makes voice calls over Internet protocol addresses rather than relying on telephone companies — similar to Skype. According to Big Think, Sisson says being a gay entrepreneur can be challenging, but in his home of San Francisco, it’s a “non-issue.” “There’s never been any sort of problem with anyone finding out that I was gay and suddenly not wanting to do business with me or not wanting to fund me,” he said. Image courtesy of Facebook, Peter Sisson 3. Peter Thiel Best known for co-founding PayPal and working as its CEO, Thiel is also a successful venture capitalist and hedge fund manager. When eBay acquired PayPal in 2002, Thiel’s stake was estimated around $55 million. He also made the first outside investment in Facebook in 2004, securing a 10.2% stake for $500,000. […]
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