Lahore (NUT-DESK)
Marvel’s latest release Eternals will not be screened in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar, according to reports by several international news websites.
Eternals was set to hit the screen across the Gulf States on November 11, but it was removed from the websites after Disney refused to make the proposed edits.
The controversy surrounds Marvel Cinematic Universe’s same-gender couple, Phastos (played by Brian Tyree Henry) and his on-screen spouse Ben (Haaz Sleiman). Disney was reportedly requested to remove an intimate scene involving the two characters.
Eternals is, however, still listed among the movies that are going to be released in the UAE. Eternals has been directed by Chloe Zhao and features an ensemble cast of Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Richard Madden, Gemma Chan, Lia McHugh, Kit Harington, Don Lee, among others.
Angelina remarked that she is “sad” for the audiences in the countries where Eternals has been banned, but added that she is proud of Marvel for refusing to edit the proposed scenes out.
Eternals stars Kumail Nanjiani as well who is the first Pakistani actor to play a superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.The movie had its world premiere in Los Angeles on October 18 and was released on November 5.
In August, Akshay Kumar’s spy thriller BellBottom was banned across Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar for content “not fit for exhibition”. It was inspired by the hijackings of Indian Airlines flights in the 1980s during Indira Gandhi’s tenure as prime minister.
The objection was that the movie showed Akshay’s character Bell Bottom (an Indian agent) as the hero of the entire episode while the UAE defence minister was kept in the dark by Indian officials. The authorities were reportedly irked by the “distortion of facts”.
BellBottom starred Lara Dutta as Indira Gandhi and featured Vaani Kapoor opposite Akshay.
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