Blake Lively’s romance drama “It Ends With Us” has been banned in Qatar due to kissing scenes.
The country’s censorship committee has blocked the PG-13 film, from Sony Pictures and Wayfarer Studios, from a theatrical release, sources close to the film tell Variety.
“It Ends With Us” features kissing scenes and a non-graphic sex scene in which the characters keep their undergarments on.
Qatar has very strict censorship rules and a history of banning American movies, including Greta Gerwig’s women-empowerment comedy “Barbie,” the animated superhero adventure “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” and Marvel’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” and “Eternals” — all of which were rated PG-13 in the U.S.
Qatar also blocked the R-rated comedy “No Hard Feelings,” in which Jennifer Lawrence goes nude; the “Toy Story” spinoff “Lightyear,” which features a gay kiss; Pixar’s “Onward,” for a vague reference to a lesbian character; and Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell’s “Anyone but You,” which features a couple of steamy romance scenes.
In 2021, Disney refused to comply with censorship cuts requested by Qatar for Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story.” It’s understood that the censors were not approving of Anybodys, a character who is transgender and portrayed by non-binary actor Iris Menas. Films with LGBTQ references or characters have been routinely targeted by censors in the Middle Eastern countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait, as well as China.
“It Ends With Us,” directed by Justin Baldoni, who stars opposite Lively, follows a florist named Lily who falls in love with a neurosurgeon. After Lily runs into her childhood friend (Brandon Sklenar), Ryle gets jealous, and their relationship takes a dark turn.
An adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s popular romance novel, the movie cost only $25 million to produce and is expected to turn a profit. It opened with $7 million in Thursday previews, leading some estimates to reach $40 million to $50 million.
Deadline first reported the news.