History LGBTFanbase / LiveActionFilms

* The ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'', for reasons similar to the [[ComicBook/XMen comic book ]] as well as the involvement of gay actor Creator/IanMcKellen and bisexual director Creator/BryanSinger. Creator/ElliotPage publicly coming out in 2014 also helped boost LGBT interest in ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'', even though his character was DemotedToExtra.

* ''Franchise/TheMatrix'' series, though particularly [[Film/TheMatrix the first film]], has garnered something of a following among transgender viewers with many claiming what Neo (Creator/KeanuReeves) and many of the redpills experience upon learning the truth about the world they lived in heavily resonates with how many transgender people feel while transitioning. Given that the franchise's creators, Creator/TheWachowskis, both later came out as trans women themselves, the film's transgender subtext starts to make sense. The transgender allegory was later [[IKnewIt confirmed]] [[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-53692435 by co-creator Lilly Wachowski]]. It may or may not be a coincidence that, at the time that the film was made, one of the most commonly-prescribed brands of pharmaceutical oestrogen came as a red pill...

* ''Franchise/TheMatrix'' series, though particularly [[Film/TheMatrix the first film]], has garnered something of a following among transgender viewers with many claiming what Neo (Creator/KeanuReeves) and many of the redpills experience upon learning the truth about the world they lived in heavily resonates with how many transgender people feel while transitioning. Given that the franchise's creators, Creator/TheWachowskis, both later came out as trans women themselves, the film's transgender subtext starts to make sense. The transgender allegory was later [[IKnewIt confirmed]] [[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-53692435 by co-creator Lilly Wachowski]].

* ''Film/{{Bottoms}}'': Being a movie about lesbians, it has attracted a big lesbian fanbase. It's also popular among other WLW. This is helped by the casting of queer actresses, like Creator/AyoEdebiri, Creator/RubyCruz and Havana Rose Liu, in lead roles.

* ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' is a classic example, heavily contributing to Creator/JudyGarland's own LGBT fanbase. Many in the gay community could relate to Dorothy's longing of escape to a better place, "some place where there isn't any trouble." Dorothy's acceptance of the Scarecrow, Tin-Man, and Lion also struck a chord among many gay men who felt confident that Dorothy would also accept them in open arms without a second thought. The Wizard and Glinda also don't try to solve or "cure" the characters' problems, and instead pointing out that they had what they wanted all along. All of this heavily resonated with an early LGBT audience, and the fact that film provided heavy camp on top of that only sealed the deal.

%%* ''Film/ShowMeLove''

* Creator/JoelSchumacher's Batman films, ''Film/BatmanForever'' and ''Film/BatmanAndRobin'', may have been panned by critics and audiences, but they've developed a gay male following due to their "anatomically-correct rubber suits," Creator/ChrisODonnell ''in'' the anatomically-correct rubber suits, and Creator/UmaThurman's take on Poison Ivy, which remains a favorite for {{drag queen}}s to impersonate.

** The ''Film/{{Scream}}'' franchise particularly stands out for its gay male following. This is usually attributed to its slight campy tone, snarky dialogue, the theatricality of the killers (especially in their dramatic speeches after their unmaskings), the fact that ''anyone'', regardless of gender or sexual orientation, can be said killer, and writer/creator Creator/KevinWilliamson being openly gay himself. The first film also had heavy homoerotic undertones between [[spoiler: Billy and Stu]], which was inspired by the famously gay Leopold and Loeb killers. [[https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/03/16/horror-movie-villains-ranked-queer-lgbtq/ One LGBT site]] even named Ghostface the queerest horror movie villain.

** The Franchise/{{Scream}} franchise particularly stands out for its gay male following. This is usually attributed to its slight campy tone, snarky dialogue, the theatricality of the killers (especially in their dramatic speeches after their unmaskings), the fact that ''anyone'', regardless of gender or sexual orientation, can be said killer, and writer/creator Creator/KevinWilliamson being openly gay himself. The first film also had heavy homoerotic undertones between [[spoiler: Billy and Stu]], which was inspired by the famously gay Leopold and Loeb killers. [[https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/03/16/horror-movie-villains-ranked-queer-lgbtq/ One LGBT site]] even named Ghostface the queerest horror movie villain.

* ''Film/{{M3GAN}}'' gained one from the moment the first trailer was released, which introduced the titular RobotGirl villain wearing a pair of CoolShades and showed her doing a dance that quickly [[MemeticMutation went viral]]. In [[https://screenrant.com/megan-movie-doll-queer-icon/ the actual film,]] her personality becomes increasingly [[AlphaBitch sassy]] as she gains sentience, and her relationship with Cady, a young girl who recently lost her parents and is now being cared for by an aunt who's not cut out for the job, brought in themes of FoundFamily that resonated with a lot of queer fans, even if [=M3GAN=] is the villain here.

** The ''Film/CaptainAmerica'' trilogy's massive gay/bi following (especially fans of BaraGenre works) reached mainstream levels of infamy during its time due to the films' focus on the [[HoYay intense]] and [[HomoeroticSubtext homoerotic]] bonds between the titular character and the men in his life, several of whom play the role of TheNotLoveInterest to the point that his ''actual'' love interests seem to fall to the wayside. The films' homoeroticism played an important role in kickstarting ongoing debates regarding the MCU's (as well as Hollywood's) lack of canonical LGBT representation that continue to this day.

** When it was announced that ''Film/ThorLoveAndThunder'' was in the works with Creator/TaikaWaititi returning to direct, and a tease that Valkyrie would have a romantic interest, it was immediately claimed by the gays. Fast forward to the release of the trailer and we get the following: Val in a [[BadassInANiceSuit nice suit]], a TrainingMontage of Thor in between his [[TheBear bear]] look from ''Endgame'' and his normal {{Hunk}} state [[RuleOfSexy wearing a tank top and trucker hat that says "Strongest Avenger"]], more HoYay between him and Star Lord[[note]]who was recently confirmed to be bisexual in the comics[[/note]], and a blink-and-you-miss-it tease for a possible cameo by Carol Danvers who is a popular ship with Valkyrie. They knew exactly which fans they were servicing.

*** When it was announced that ''Film/ThorLoveAndThunder'' was in the works with Creator/TaikaWaititi returning to direct, and a tease that Valkyrie would have a romantic interest, it was immediately claimed by the gays. Fast forward to the release of the trailer and we get the following: Val in a [[BadassInANiceSuit nice suit]], a TrainingMontage of Thor in between his [[TheBear bear]] look from ''Endgame'' and his normal {{Hunk}} state [[RuleOfSexy wearing a tank top and trucker hat that says "Strongest Avenger"]], more HoYay between him and Star Lord[[note]]who was recently confirmed to be bisexual in the comics[[/note]], and a blink-and-you-miss-it tease for a possible cameo by Carol Danvers who is a popular ship with Valkyrie. They knew exactly which fans they were servicing.

* ''Film/CalamityJane'', which has some [[HoYay Les Yay]] between the main female characters to the point where it's been been shown at LGBT festivals. The film is about a tomboyish Calamity Jane learning to become more girly with the help of a singer named Katie, but the romance subplot is overshadowed by Jane and Katie's RomanticTwoGirlFriendship. The song "Secret Love" has been [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation interpreted]] by modern viewers as [[{{Tsundere}} Jane]] realizing her love for [[HeterosexualLifePartners Katie]] rather than Bill. This was discussed in ''Film/TheCelluloidCloset''.

* ''Film/MammaMia'' and its sequel ''Film/MammaMiaHereWeGoAgain'' has a solid gay following, which makes sense -- they're campy musicals, and the music is all by Music/{{ABBA}}, which has a gay following of its own. When ''Here We Go Again'' came out, it was often joked online that the main audience would be "gay people, and their middle-aged moms."
* ''Franchise/TheMatrix'' series, though particularly [[Film/TheMatrix the first film]], has garnered something of a following among transgender viewers with many claiming what Neo (Creator/KeanuReeves) and many of the redpills experience upon learning the truth about the world they lived in heavily resonates with how many transgender people feel during transitioning. Given that the franchise's creators, Creator/TheWachowskis, both later came out as trans women, the film's transgender subtext starts to make sense. The transgender allegory was later [[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-53692435 confirmed by co-creator Lilly Wachowski]].

* ''Film/{{Xanadu}}'': A {{camp}}y {{Disco}} [[AllGaysLoveTheater musical]]. How much gayer can you get? The film's gay and female fanbase pushes it out of flop territory and into CultClassic.

* ''Film/TheDevilWearsPrada'': This film has a large fanbase of lesbian and bisexual women, mainly due to a lot of the actresses already having some, especially Meryl Streep. The focus on fashion and Nigel being gay have also led to a large fanbase of gay men.

* ''[[Film/ThorRagnarok Ragnarok]]'' is memetically claimed as belonging to the bisexual community, partly due to Valkyrie's canon orientation, but mostly because of the entire cast being [[EvenTheGuysWantHim super hot]] [[EvenTheGirlsWantHer regardless of gender]].

* The Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse has quite the LGBT fanbase as well. Like the MCU, the LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters played by some very attractive actors has inevitably led to a great deal of shipping (both for the characters and even [[ActorShipping the actors themselves]]).

* The ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'' has many gay ships of its LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters. Some have even been acknowledged by the actors in the films, such as Creator/JeffGoldblum [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2_Vq4AFmJQ enthusiastically supporting]] fanart of [[Film/ThorRagnarok the Grandmaster and Loki]], or Creator/BrieLarson and Creator/TessaThompson [[https://twitter.com/TessaThompson_x/status/1107739307098304513 praising shipping]] for [[Film/AvengersEndgame Captain Marvel and Valkyrie]]. To date, though, the only onscreen gay relationship between heroes in the MCU is between Karolina and Nico in ''{{Series/Runaways 2017}}''. Special mention goes to ''[[Film/ThorRagnarok Ragnarok]]'' for being memetically claimed as belonging to the bisexual community, partly due to Valkyrie's canon orientation, but mostly because of the entire cast being [[EvenTheGuysWantHim super hot]] [[EvenTheGirlsWantHer regardless of gender]].

* ''Film/CharliesAngels2019'': The film is popular amongst queer women, as Sabine is highly indicated to be lesbian or bi.

* ''Film/CloudAtlas'' has a pretty sizable [=LGBT=] fanbase due to the relationship between Robert Frobisher and Rufus Sixsmith. It is also popular with transgender viewers due to the numerous {{Cross Cast Role}}s and the involvement of transgender producer, writer, and director Lana Wachowski.