Why has Saudi Arabia ‘banned’ new Spider-Man movie? According to Saudi Cinema, which is governed by the General Commission for Audiovisual Media, the highly anticipated “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” film will not be released in Saudi Arabia.
Why has Saudi Arabia ‘banned’ new Spider-Man movie?
The authorities said on Tuesday that the film would not be screened in the Kingdom owing to its material conflicting with the existing content controls. Unless specific sequences in the film are changed, it will not be allowed to play in local theatres.
The decision has prompted curiosity among Saudi Reddit and Twitter users, as tickets for the screening are no longer available for pre-purchase at local theatres. Empire Entertainment, which has sole theatrical distribution rights for Sony Pictures in the Middle East, has been contacted for comment on the release’s status. However, the film is still listed as “Coming Soon” on Empire’s website, with a June 22 release date.
The restriction follows a similar pattern seen in the UAE and other GCC nations earlier in 2022 when the Walt Disney-Pixar animated film “Lightyear” was banned from screening due to its depiction of characters in a same-sex relationship. Many Muslim-majority nations criminalize same-sex partnerships, resulting in the prohibition of films with such content. Furthermore, some countries have asked streaming providers such as Netflix to censor or remove content that they feel is objectionable to their faith and culture.
The beloved Spider-Man of Brooklyn reunites with Gwen Stacy, only to be sent into the vast Multiverse. In this mind-bending adventure, Harry meets a diverse group of Spider-People, each of whom is tasked with protecting the very fabric of reality. However, as opposing viewpoints collide in the middle of a looming peril, our hero, Miles, finds himself in a conflict with his fellow Spiders.
In contrast, the film had a fantastic opening weekend in the United States and Canada, grossing a whopping $120.5 million in its first weekend. The film’s box-office success indicated a significant rise over its 2018 predecessor and demonstrated its potential as a powerful franchise in Hollywood.
