Fans of ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ in the UAE will not watch the movie on the big screens due to a censorship concern.
According to a report by Deadline, ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ which is Sony’s biggest hit of the summer will not be released in the United Arab Emirates. The plans of releasing the movie on the June 22, 2023 in the UAE has eventually hit the wall.
It appears that Gwen Stacy and whether the character is trans are at the center of the debate. A billboard reading “protect trans lives” can be seen in the background of one scene, which UAE censors have expressed concern about. Despite this setback, reports have it that it was not in the plans of Sony to release the movie in the Gulf Region.
According to Reuters, who broke the story first, Vox Cinemas has reportedly pulled the film without giving a reason. Additionally, it stated that the UAE Media Council was supposedly against the movie because it went against UAE values.
This is not the first time the UAE is blocking a movie that goes contrary to their values from release. Last year, Disney/Pixar’s Lightyear wasn’t released in such Middle East markets as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar, in addition to Malaysia and Indonesia, over LGBTQ content in the film.
