Banned in Gulf countries for showing a gay couple in Marvel's latest release 'Eternals'
The film has been banned in Gulf countries for showing a gay couple in Marvel's latest release 'Eternals'.
The new Hollywood sci-fi creation was due to be released in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait on November 11, but cinema authorities have now stopped showing it.
According to reports, the Gulf countries had demanded that the film be released after removing the objectionable scenes of the gay couple, but Disney refused.
The movie 'Eternals' is the story of superheroes who invade the world from another world, who are trying to save humanity by fighting the demons living on the earth. A female superhero has been shown to be deaf and dumb.
The gay couple is played by American black actor Brian Tyri Henry and Egyptian-born Arab actor Haz Suleiman.
Gulf states have in the past banned films showing gay couples.
Movie posters are still available on cinema websites in the United Arab Emirates and are expected to be released soon. However, its release has been banned in other Gulf countries.
The cast includes Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kit Harrington, Richard Maiden and Pakistani-born Hollywood actor Kamil Nanjiani. Kamil Nanjiani is the first Pakistani and South Asian actor to play a superhero in a Hollywood movie.
Adapted from Jack Kirby's 1976 comic novel The Eternal, the film is directed by Chinese-born Chloe Xiao, who became the first Asian woman to win the Best Director award for the film Nomadland at this year's 93rd Oscars. ۔ Nomad Land won 6 awards while returning to the Oscars, the biggest award in the film world.
Chloé Zhao explains the meaning behind Frances McDormand's #Oscars howl. It was a tribute for the late production sound mixer, Wolf [Michael Wolf Snyder] from #Nomadland and #TheRider https://t.co/bkNFEciQQv pic.twitter.com/AlrvWipZD8
— Variety (@Variety) April 26, 2021