Marvels Eternals Gets Banned Over LGBTQ+ Characters in Middle East Countries Marvel Studios Eternals was banned from cinemas in the Gulf, a response likely given due to the inclusion of a same-sex couple. The UAE announced six months ago that it would do away with film censorship and instead introduce a 21+ rating. The reason: depicting a same-sex relationship. IMAX, one of the largest movie exhibitors in Egypt, shocked moviegoers on Nov. 9 by canceling the premiere of the movie "Eternals" one day before it was scheduled for nationwide release.. Ahmed Kalal, director of the development engineering department at Misr International Films, which owns IMAX theaters in Egypt, told Al-Monitor that the Marvel Cinematic Universe's star-studded action-adventure flick Eternals is enjoying a theatrical release across the USA as well as India on November 5. "Fingers crossed.". Marvel Studios' "Eternals" will not play in theaters in the Middle Eastern countries of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, or Qatar. Why Eternals Has Been Pulled From Theaters In The Middle East By Dirk Libbey last updated November 05, 2021 Several nations have apparently decided not release Eternals. It was originally set to hit theaters on November 11, 2021. The Eternal Phastos has a husband and children. 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Back in May 2017, Warner Bros. Wonder Woman was officially banned in Lebanon. Director Chloe Zhao was part of conversations about this very topic, and she, at the time, was hopeful that edits would not be made, and now it appears Marvel is backing her up. They are basically saying no to moneyallowing entire countries and regions to ban the film,an almost unheard-of move when it comes to big corporations. Its possible that it was simply deemed impossible to make the edits that were requested without harming too much of the plot of the movie itself. The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards. The issue, we hear, may not solely be the same-sex kiss, but rather that overall these markets have historically had a problem with the depiction of gods and prophets, something they consider blasphemous. One key territory that the film has struggled to find a distributor in is the UK. While not officially revealed, sources indicate that the reason isalmost certainly due to the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ charactersin the filmin this case being Brian Tyree Henry's Phastos and his husband. What is really going to hurt Eternals, and it is something that hurt both Black Widow and Shang-Chi, is not getting a China release, as if we compare these flicks box offices to that of the Ant-Man movies, China made up around 20% of the gross, so Eternals, Black Widow, and Shang-Chi are probably losing out on close to $100 million or more each. But the studio removed a same-sex kiss between characters in"Star Wars:The Rise of Skywalker" to appease some international censors. 2023 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, Can you imagine how many lives this is going to be saving kids, young queer folk, who are being bullied, committing suicide and not seeing themselves being represented? The publication was told by sources that the gay relationship in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie may have been the reason. It looks like there are more countries that may be having issues with it as well; namely the Gulf region. Marvel Studios is getting ready to release its next big screen blockbuster, and while Eternals will almost certainly be the number one move at the domestic box office this weekend. Sleiman, who was raised in a Muslim family in Lebanon before moving to the U.S. when he was 21, came out as gay in 2017 after first gaining attention playing Tarek, an undocumented Syrian immigrant in 2007s The Visitor., At the Eternals world premiere last month, Sleiman spoke passionately about how much representation and visibility matter. 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Send us a tip using our annonymous form. One regional cinema chain explained that Eternals had been banned but said they hadnt been told why. The outlet also releases a set of factors that could have contributed to the theatrical ban of Eternals in these Middle East countries. All rights reserved. Homosexuality is still officially illegal across the Gulf, and films containing anything related to LGBTQ issues are frequently pulled from release. Angelina Jolie is responding to her new movie Eternals apparently being banned by certain Gulf Nations. Deadline reports Eternals has been banned in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman, and that the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt are releasing a censored version of the movie. By Kofi Outlaw - November 4, 2021 11:57 am EDT. According to a report from Deadline, the Disney/Marvel movie Eternals will not be hitting the big screens in some Middle Eastern countries namelySaudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman. These fantastic milestones, however, haven'tbeen embraced by everyone around the world. Marvel Studios' "Eternals" will not play in theaters in the Middle Eastern countries of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, or Qatar. Is Elon Musk Going to Buy Manchester United Football Club? Reportedly, he said that the ban on the film across Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar brought tears to his eyes. 'Eternals' to release on Nov 5; How and where to watch Angelina Jolie-starrer online? In 2021, Marvel released The Eternals, which featured Phastos, a gay, married man, and his husband. One regional cinema explained to the site that Eternalshad been "banned" but was not told why. This is after 225 reviews. Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle Editor. The film is still expected to come out inthe United Arab Emirates. In the film, Stephanie Hsus character Joy is openly gay and there is a scene in which MichelleYeoh and Jamie Lee Curtis play a lesbian couple. Theyre going to find a way to watch it, even if its illegal, he said. Meanwhile in Kuwait and Qatar, the Chloe Zhao-directed super-gods movie was blocked. Since homosexuality is still illegal in many countries in the Middle East, the requested edits likely centered on Marvel's first openly gay superhero, Phastos, who is played by Brian Tyree Henry. Its been a while since a movie has been banned in Kuwait but according to Al Jarida newspaper, the Marvel Studios film Eternals has been banned in Kuwait. Previous references to homosexulaity in Disney movies like Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and the live-action Beauty and the Beast were simply fleeting images that could easily be taken out without major changes to the film. Its said that in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman, the censors wanted further cuts beyond any scenes of intimacy and that Disney opted not to make the edits, so Eternals isnt going to be released. The film is one of A24s biggest-budget productions to date. Reportedly, only one scene became the sole reason for the ban on the film. Lastly, she appreciated Disney for not backing down and censoring the scenes. Haaz Sleiman says he was close to tears when he learned of Disneys response to Eternals being banned in several Middle Eastern countries because of the MCU films LGBTQ+ content. Also, the actors of the Eternals were playing a good role in making the platform, as well as the Marvel studios, look good. It's always important not to give in to censorship, as the practice is the antithesis of art itself. The Eternal Phastos has a husband and children. Phastos kisses his husband Ben in the movies. 'Eternals' To Not Release In Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain And Oman; Here's Why Touted as one of the biggest MCU films, Chlo Zhao directed super-god film Eternals has been banned from releasing in some of the major Middle Eastern countries Written By Princia Hendriques Image: Instagram/@MarvelStudios Angelina Jolie is responding to her new movie Eternals apparently being banned by certain Gulf Nations. Its not like this was unexpected. In 2021, Marvel released The Eternals, which featured Phastos, a gay, married man, and his husband. Angelina Jolie, who played Thena in the movie, criticized peoples way of thinking about homosexuality. All Rights Reserved. CinemaBlends resident theme park junkie and amateur Disney historian. ' Eternals ' didn't make it to box-offices in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar. The reason was just a single line referring to a lesbian relationship. The good news for UK cinema-goers is that A24 itself will release the film this month. 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