For as much as we have talked about “The New Mutants,” most of the discussion is regarding the behind-the-scenes news relating to release date changes, reshoots, and other bits of drama that has plagued the long-delayed superhero film. However, what we sometimes fail to talk about is the actual film itself, a YA superhero film that focuses on the horrific elements that haunt a young group of mutants that are held captive in a hospital/prison. And according to the director, “The New Mutants” actually has a love story at the film’s core.
In a new interview with EW, even though the film is being described as a horror film, “The New Mutants” director Josh Boone said there’s “a beautiful love story” at the center of the film, which, he admitted, “is a weird thing to say hear” when you’re talking about films in this genre. The relationship being teased is actually between two female characters, Dani Moonstar (Blu Hunt) and Rahne Sinclair (Maisie Williams), adding a bit of LBGTQ representation to the ‘X-Men’ film franchise.
“It’s sort of the spine and focus of some of the character-driven stuff in the film,” Boone said.
“Rahne and Dani have a telepathic connection in the comics, and so we just wanted to extend that in the film and put that within reality,” actress Maisie Williams said. “If they really could understand each other on that level, then you’d probably end up falling in love with that person.”
She added, “It’s not really a story about these two characters understanding their sexuality. It’s not centered around that and they don’t really necessarily label it. No one else does either and no one really questions it.”
The relationship between Dani and Rahne is a new element added to the lore that hasn’t been explored in the comic book source material. However, given that Fox’s ‘X-Men’ continuity has never been shy about straying from the comics, adding this romantic element to the story isn’t all that surprising, nor is it something that will likely infuriate the majority of comic book fans. (Let’s be real, there are always diehards that hate when anything is changed.)
We’ll have to see how the love story plays out on screen when “The New Mutants” hits theaters on April 3. You can watch a new ad for the film below: