As a movie enthusiast who’s been through countless screenings and censorship battles across various continents, I must say, the ongoing saga of film bans in Qatar leaves me both amused and disheartened. On one hand, it’s fascinating to witness the power of storytelling that can ruffle feathers even thousands of miles away. On the other, it’s disheartening to see such talented artists like Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, and Colleen Hoover’s work being suppressed due to outdated norms.
As a gaming enthusiast diving into my latest quest, I’ve found myself disappointed in a different kind of game – the cinematic one. In my virtual world, I was eagerly awaiting to watch “It Ends With Us” featuring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, only to find out that it won’t be gracing the big screen in Qatar due to those tender kissing scenes. Bummer! I guess we’ll have to wait for the digital version, fellow movie lovers.
The committee overseeing censorship in the given country chose to prohibit the movie produced by Sony Pictures and Wayfarer Studios, which carries a PG-13 rating in the United States. Qatar, known for its stringent censorship regulations, has previously blocked popular films such as “Barbie,” “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” “Anyone But You,” “Eternals,” “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” “No Hard Feelings,” “Lightyear,” and several others.
The film “It Ends With Us,” directed by Baldoni, centers around the complex topic of domestic violence and a woman’s struggle between continuing in a harmful relationship or walking away. Adapted from Colleen Hoover’s 2016 blockbuster novel, it features numerous passionate kisses and non-explicit love scenes.
The romantic drama hit U.S. theaters this past Friday. With a strong start of $7 million in Thursday previews, there’s high anticipation that it will achieve box office success during its opening weekend. Facing off against Reynolds’ blockbuster “Deadpool & Wolverine”, Sony estimates an opening weekend of around $23 million from Aug. 9-11. Yet, some predictions suggest it could potentially earn even more, ranging from $40 to $50 million based on ticket presales.
2021 saw reports that the film Eternals might have been banned due to its portrayal of a same-sex couple and its introduction of Marvel’s first gay superhero, according to sources at the time. In 2022, it was speculated that Lightyear from Pixar was prevented by Gulf censors because of a same-gender kiss in the movie. Similarly, rumors linked the ban of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in 2022 to its representation of an LGBTQ character.
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2024-08-10 02:25