Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, which is presented by Disney & 20th Century, has been banned in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman. According to a leading entertainment source, the film wasn’t granted a release certificate in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, whereas, in Qatar and Oman, Disney did not comply with the cuts requested by the respective censors.
The move of banning the film shouldn’t come as a surprise since Middle East countries have a strict mandate when it comes to censorship of swearing, sexuality, and other elements that don’t gel with their cultural values. The censors were not on board with the character Anybodys, a transgender character in the film which is portrayed by Iris Menas. Notably, films with LGBTQ content and references have been frequently targeted by the censors in the Middle East and China.
Recently, Disney’s Eternals had to be pulled off from the same region due to Marvel’s open portrayal of the same-sex couple.
