The film has already found issues with China, they're only calling themselves out for the rest of the world to see, Ant-Man 3's Kang Might've Had Sex With Janet, Reveals Writer, Star Wars Officially Canonizes Gina Carano's Cara Dune Exit Post-Firing, Mandalorian Producer Clears Confusion on Grogu's Luke Skywalker Timeline. 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. The film was recently released in different parts of the world but got banned in some Arab countries. The Funniest Stand-Up Comedy Specials Streaming On HBO Max, Ant-Man 3 Writer Defends The Movies Controversial Ending, Star Wars Andy Serkis Talks Being Gutted Over Snokes Death In The Last Jedi, And Whether Hed Reprise The Character, The Mandalorian's Jon Favreau Dropped A Shocking Grogu Reveal Ahead Of Season 3, And I Can't Quite Believe It, Following La Brea's Dino-Sized Cliffhanger, The Showrunner Breaks Down Eve's Fate And That Big Reveal About Gavin. By Kofi Outlaw - November 4, 2021 11:57 am EDT. Part of Phase Four of the MCU, it is due for release on Nov. 5 following its world premiere on Oct. 18 in L.A. THR has reached out to Disney for comment. 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. "Fingers crossed.". 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. In recent days, Eternals has made headlines across the Middle East region after it was banned in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. And now they get to see this its above and beyond., When we talked Friday, Sleiman recalled how it was his idea to have his character speak some Arabic in the film. '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 Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. Meanwhile,United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt will enjoy the movie without thescenes of intimacy seeing as this is a normal practice for such markets. "Eternals"arrives in U.S. theaters on November 5, 2021. The critical consensus reads, An ambitious superhero epic that soars as often as it strains, Eternals takes the MCU in intriguing and occasionally confounding new directions., Jack Ma, Trump and Xi: How Chinese billionaire flew close to the sun, Copyright 2023 The Indian Express [P] Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Directed byChlo Zhao, the film also featuresGemma Chan as Sersi,Richard Madden asIkaris,Salma HayekasAjak, Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo,Angelina JolieasThena, Kit HaringtonasDane Whitman, Lauren Ridloff as Makkari, and Barry Keoghan as Druig. Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Lee Curtis, Stephanie Hsu and Ke Huy Quan star in Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinerts critical darling Everything Everywhere All At Once, which has simmered its way to a healthy domestic box office of $37M and counting. Last month,Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness was the latest studio film to be banned in parts of the region due to a gay character. Were told theres hope that some territories in the region may still release the film, but the word is that key markets such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait wont be showing it. One of the Hollywood stars, Haaz Sleiman who also happens to be the gay superhero in the Marvel movie Eternals slammed the Arab nations. As a result, the movie was removed from the websites and platforms in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar. The reason was just a single line referring to a lesbian relationship. Thank you for signing up to CinemaBlend. Angelina Jolie is responding to her new movie Eternals apparently being banned by certain Gulf Nations. My god. The Eternal Phastos has a husband and children. The UAE announced six months ago that it would do away with film censorship and instead introduce a 21+ rating. Eternals looks to suffer another box office blow as it is reported countries in the Middle East are either banning the film completely or screening an edited cut, which also follows it previously reported that the flick likely wont play in China, the number two market in the world. The film also has an MCU low of a Rotten 51% Rotten Tomatoes score. Eternals and West Side Story also suffered bans late last year. Not only is Phastos the MCUs first gay superhero, but he and Ben are married and fathers to a young son. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Hopefully this will inspire the Saudi people, the Kuwaiti people and the people in Qatar to fight back.. The reason: depicting a same-sex relationship. The publication was told by sources that the gay relationship in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie may have been the reason. He mentioned that the decision to disallow the movie made these countries look pathetic and ignorant. Marvel's Eternals will reportedly be banned from release in certain countries - a list which includes Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar. Celebrities Against the ban. Breaking news and interviews on comics, sci-fi, horror and more. And in an alternate universe, Brian Tyree Henry's Phastos wouldn't have been the first LGBTQ superhero in the MCU: Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie character from "Thor: Ragnarok"was going to be bisexual, but the final cut of the movie ended up removing a scene which confirmed her sexuality. Signup for Breaking News Alerts & Newsletters. While financial considerations were almost certainly weighed her, those arent always the only concerns to be considered. Eternals is banned from theaters in Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, or Qatar because of the movies gay elements. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). In 2020, Onward, the Pixar title created hype when it got banned in Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. The outlet reported that the issue may not be limited to the same-sex kiss shown in the film but alsothe history of these countries having problems with thedepiction of gods and prophets. We hear from industry sources that the movie was picked up by a regional distributor but has been banned in parts of the Gulf due to LGBTQ issues, meaning it has been shelved for now. 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. We know how the game of breaking news is actually played. In the Chloe Zhao directorial, Brian Tyree Henrys Phastos, one of the member of the titular beings who is a weapon inventor and technology expert, is a gay man and also shares a kiss in the movie with his husband Ben (played by Haaz Sleiman). By Anthony D'Alessandro, Nancy Tartaglione. The reason: depicting a same-sex relationship. Sleiman said that he doesnt support or respect the governments with a mindset negating LGBT and that these authorities have showcased how they are just a disgrace to both humanity and God. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Epcot Stan. Copyright 2023 Cosmic Book News | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | About Us | Contact Us | Movies | Comics | TV | Gaming | News | Reviews | Web Stories | Search, Eternals Box Office Blow: Banned In Middle East, Likely China, Deadpool 3: Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman Get Jacked, 'Cocaine Bear' Mauls 'Ant-Man' 3 Box Office, Disneys Peter Pan & Wendy Trailer Disliked To Oblivion, Reason For The Marvels MCU Delay Worse Than Thought, Marvels Ant-Man 3 Breaks Batman vs Superman Record, The Last Of Us Actresses Blast Fans: Dont like it, dont watch, Marvel: Blade and Deadpool 3 Said To Film Soon, Cocaine Bear Mauls Ant-Man 3 Box Office. 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. Back in May 2017, Warner Bros. Wonder Woman was officially banned in Lebanon. 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. It was originally set to hit theaters on November 11, 2021. It has a rotten score of 51 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregation site. Get our latest storiesin the feed of your favorite networks. Marvel Studios Eternals was banned from cinemas in the Gulf, a response likely given due to the inclusion of a same-sex couple. With Diwali, one of the biggest festivals of India, coinciding with the release, netizens are expected to flock to the theatres to enjoy the super-gods films featuring some of the biggest stars of Hollywood. Upon the news about Eternals getting banned in multiple Arab countries, some Hollywood celebrities spoke about it. Disney held firm on that movie and refused to censor it, so hopefully this is proof that the studio is entering a new era in which it supports its filmmakers' visions and won't compromise its movies to achieve the widest possible appeal. Is Elon Musk Going to Buy Manchester United Football Club? The film has already found issues with China when it comes to getting a proper release, in fact, the country was rumored to want parts edited out. Considering that homosexuality is still against the law in many parts of the Middle East, its far from surprising this would be the reason that the movie is seeing scrutiny there. CinemaBlends resident theme park junkie and amateur Disney historian. By subscribing, I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Eternals looks to suffer another box office blow as it is reported countries in the Middle East are either banning the film completely or screening an edited cut, which also follows it previously reported that the flick likely wont play in China, the number two market in the world. NY 10036. 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. Eternals looks to suffer another box office blow as it is reported countries in the Middle East are either banning the film completely or screening an edited cut, which also follows it previously reported that the flick likely wont play in China, the number two market in the world. Meanwhile in Kuwait and Qatar, the Chloe Zhao-directed super-gods movie was blocked. Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy. 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