On Friday Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, signed a law that eliminates a statute that has for decades allowed Disney to act as a local government in Orlando, the home of the Disney World theme park. Homosexuality is a capital offence in Saudi Arabia, known for its strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law, which forms the basis of its judicial system.ĭisney’s stance on LGBTQ rights has attracted controversy in the US.
Movie ticket sales totalled US$238m in 2021, a 95% increase from the previous year, Variety magazine reported in January. Saudi Arabia lifted a decades-long ban on all cinemas in late 2017, part of a series of social reforms spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman aimed at shaking up the deeply conservative kingdom. free to stream for Amazon Prime members) South Korean director Park. Disney refused to make the cuts and the film did not screen there. Coming SoonThe Story of the Stream More Movies & Shows Like The Story of the. In November The Eternals, which features a gay couple, prompted edit requests from Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia. The dust-up is not the first time a Marvel movie has fallen foul of Saudi regulators.
Advance tickets had been removed from sale in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar, but not in the United Arab Emirates.Īsked on Monday about the film, which stars Benedict Cumberbatch, an employee for AMC Cinemas in Saudi Arabia said it had been “withdrawn”. On Friday the Hollywood Reporter said there were unconfirmed reports that the film had also been banned in Kuwait.
“It will never be banned,” he told Agence France-Presse. He added: “We sent it to the distributor, and the distributor sent it to Disney, and Disney has told us they are not willing.”īut Alsabhan disputed reports that the movie had been banned outright.