August 5, 2023
'Barbie' Not Headed to the Middle East Anytime Soon Because of LGBTQ Content
READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Vox Cinema, which is Warner Brothers distribution arm in the Middle East, has pushed back the release of Greta Gerwig's juggernaut "Barbie" to August 31 over concerns of its LGBTQ content, reports Variety.
"The reason for the delay, according to a knowledgeable source, is that Warner Bros. has been trying to work out edits requested by censors related to alleged LGBTQ-related narration and dialogue in 'Barbie'," the magazine reported.
The requested cuts have yet to be approved by Warner Brothers, which means that "Barbie" will not be released in some Middle East nations, including Saudi Arabia (region's top market) as well as possibly possibly other territories including the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Egypt.
"On Sunday evening, Saudi film and entertainment platform Movsto posted a tweet saying that 'Barbie' will not be shown in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain," adds Variety. "Warner Bros. declined to comment on Tuesday. Vox did not respond to repeated requests for comment."
What is curious is exactly what is considered to be the gay content in the film. While featuring such out actors as Kate McKinnon, Hari Nef, Alexandra Shipp, and Scott Evans, the film has little overt gay content. "As Margot Robbie put it in an interview with British LGBTQ magazine Attitude, the dolls don't 'actually have sexual orientations' in the movie." As EDGE pointed out earlier, the film reinforces existing heterosexual models.
Variety concludes: "Still, it's not surprising that 'Barbie,' a bold film centered around the iconic Western doll that is a symbol of American girlhood, is ruffling feathers in the Arab world. Several previous 'Barbie' movies made for home video were banned in Saudi Arabia a decade ago due to racy clothing and the portrayal of women in non-traditional gender roles. And even though Saudi society is rapidly opening up, the film may just simply be too camp while also posing too great a challenge to traditional male authority for the Middle East."
