Los Angeles: The recently released Blake Lively-starring romantic drama ‘It Ends With Us’ will not be released in Qatar. The film has been banned in Qatar due to kissing scenes. The country’s censorship board has blocked the theatrical release of the PG-13 film, from Sony Pictures and Wayfarer Studios, reports ‘Variety’.
“It Ends With Us” includes kissing scenes and a non-graphic sex scene in which the characters strip to their underwear. Qatar has strict censorship rules and a history of banning American films, including Greta Gerwig’s female-empowerment comedy “Barbie,” the animated superhero adventure “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” and Marvel’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” and “Eternals,” all of which are rated PG-13 in the U.S.
According to Variety, Qatar also blocked the adult comedy No Hard Feelings, in which Jennifer Lawrence strips; the Toy Story spin-off Lightyear, which features a gay kiss; Pixar’s Onward, over a vague reference to a lesbian character; and Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell’s Anyone but You, which features a pair of passionate romance scenes.
In 2021, Disney refused to comply with Qatar-requested censorship cuts for Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’. It is understood that censors were not approving Anybodys, a transgender character played by non-binary actress Iris Menas.
Films featuring LGBTQ references or characters have come under constant criticism from censors in Middle Eastern countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait, as well as China.
‘It Ends With Us’ is directed by Justin Baldoni, who stars alongside Lively. The story follows a florist named Lily who falls in love with a neurosurgeon. After Lily runs into his childhood friend (Brandon Sklenar), Ryle becomes jealous and their relationship takes a dark turn.
Adapted from Colleen Hoover’s popular romance novel, it cost just $25 million to produce and is expected to turn a profit.
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