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| Courtesy of Sony Pictures |
Blake Lively’s romantic drama movie “It Ends with Us” has been banned in Qatar for kissing scenes. The country’s censorship board has blocked the theatrical release of the PG-13 film from Sony Pictures and Wayfarer Studios, sources familiar with the film tell Variety. It Ends with Us contains kissing scenes and a non-graphic intimate scene in which the characters keep their underwear on.
Qatar has strict censorship rules and has a history of banning American films, including Greta Gerwig’s female-empowerment comedy “Barbie,” Marvel’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” the animated superhero adventure “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” and “Eternals,” all of which are rated PG-13 in the United States.
Qatar blocked the R-rated “No Hard Feelings,” because Jennifer Lawrence has undress scenes in the film, “Toy Story” spin-off “Lightyear,” featured a gay kiss, “Onward,” for vague references to lesbian characters and Sydney Sweeney’s “Anyone but You,” which features several steamy romantic scenes.
In 2021, Disney refused to comply with Qatar’s censorship cuts for Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story.” It is understood that censors do not approve of Anybodies, a character played by transgender and non-binary actor Iris Menas. Films containing LGBTQ references or characters are regularly targeted by censors in Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, as well as China.
It Ends with Us is directed by Justin Baldoni, who stars alongside Blake Lively, follows a flower girl named Lily Bloom who falls in love with a neurosurgeon. After Lily Bloom meets her childhood friend Atlas Corrigan, Ryle Kincaid becomes jealous and their relationship turns into dark.
The film budget is $25 million and is expected to turn a profit. It opened with $7 million in previews Thursday, beating some estimates of $40 million to $50 million.