A nation known for frequently prohibiting certain films from being screened in its theaters has, reportedly, added Wicked to its list of banned movies.
The film version of the acclaimed Broadway musical has been a massive success at the box office, breaking numerous records.
Nevertheless, despite its widespread popularity, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s performances will not be visible on cinema screens in one specific country.
Directed by Jon M. Chu, Wicked serves as a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, exploring how Elphaba came to be known as the Wicked Witch of the West.
The cast features Erivo as Elphaba and Grande as Glinda, alongside Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey as Prince Fiyero and Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard.
Since its release on November 22, the movie has been an overwhelming delight for musical enthusiasts, with many social media users sharing that they left the theater in tears.
Wicked boasts an impressive Rotten Tomatoes tomatometer score of 89 percent and a popcorn meter of 96 percent, raking in a staggering $114 million during its opening weekend across 3,888 theaters in North America, according to Variety.
Nonetheless, in one country, the film is reportedly barred from being exhibited in any cinema.
Kuwait is reportedly preventing Wicked from being shown in any of its cinemas, with local media questioning if the alleged ban stems from the country’s stance on the LGBTQ community.
Several cast members, including Erivo and Bailey, openly identify as queer.
The film itself has been described as inherently queer, as discussed by Grande and Erivo in an interview with The Gay Times.
Grande commented: “Every day in the Emerald City is a Pride parade, right? Even the chickens […] those chickens are gay.”
This is not the first film allegedly banned by the country.
Last year, Kuwait’s government prohibited Barbie from being screened, arguing the film promoted ‘ideas and beliefs that are alien to Kuwaiti society and public order’ and, therefore, conflicted with the country’s ‘public ethics’, according to The New York Times.
Kuwait also banned the A24 horror hit Talk To Me, which The Hollywood Reporter noted was due to one of the cast members being non-binary and transgender.
UNILAD has reached out to Universal Pictures for a statement.
If these issues have affected you and you wish to talk to someone confidentially, contact the LGBT national hotline at 888-843-4564, available Monday to Friday, 4 pm-12 am ET, and 12 pm-5 pm ET on Saturdays.