Disney/Pixar’s “Lightyear” begins its global rollout this week but has hit a wall in the Middle East and more conservative parts of South-East Asia.
The film reportedly won’t be hitting cinemas in markets like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Malaysia or Indonesia.
As with some recent Hollywood films, including several Disney titles like the last two Marvel Studios films and “West Side Story,” the reasoning for the lack of opening is believed to be related to the inclusion of LGBTQ content.
Specifically in this case it’s due to the brief inclusion of a same-gender kiss between the female character Alisha Hawthorne (Uzo Aduba) and her partner.
The scene was cut and then reinstated in March following a public statement from Pixar employees alleging Disney’s censoring of “overtly gay affection” in their films. The studio has faced both internal and external backlash for its handling of Florida’s House Bill 1557, better known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill in the media.
While no reviews for the “Toy Story”-inspired action-adventure are out as yet, social media reaction from early screenings has been rapturous and the film is rumored to be on track for a domestic opening in the $90-115 million range.
Source: THR
