‘Beauty and the Beast’ to Open in Malaysia With ‘Gay Moment’ Intact

The Wrap ^ | 03/21/2017 | Tony Maglio

[SeekAndFind]

Disney’s massive box office hit “Beauty and the Beast” will open in Malaysia after all, and “with no cuts.” Yes, that means the film’s highly publicized “gay moment” will remain intact over there.

“We are pleased to announce that Disney’s ‘Beauty And The Beast’ has now been approved to be released in Malaysia with no cuts, with a PG-13 rating,” the Walt Disney Company of Malaysia told the New Straits Times. “Be our guest when the film opens in Malaysian cinemas on March 30, 2017.”

Malaysian theater giant Golden Screen Cinemas confirmed the news on Twitter this morning:

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST CONFIRMED FOR 30 MARCH WITHOUT CUTS. RT this and get excited! #BeOurGuest

— GoldenScreenCinemas (@GSCinemas) March 21, 2017

Also Read: Everyone's on the Hunt for the 'Beauty and the Beast' Gay Scene Online

Previously, the Malaysian Censorship Board asked Disney to make a few edits to the film, including removing a part where Josh Gad’s character LeFou longs for villain Gaston (Luke Evans). The Mouse House refused, and it initially looked like the live-action remake of 1991’s animated movie might not air at all in the country.

Film Censorship Board chairman Abdul Halim Abdul Hamid had said at the time that scenes “promoting sexuality were forbidden.” Sex between men is illegal in Malaysia.

Per the Motion Picture Association of America, PG-13 goes like this: “Parents Strongly Cautioned — some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.”

Also Read: 'Beauty and the Beast' Is a Hit in Russia Despite Gay LeFou

Earlier this month, director Bill Condon told Attitude Magazine that the movie would feature an “exclusively gay moment” involving the two buddies.

“LeFou is somebody who on one day wants to be Gaston and on another day wants to kiss Gaston,” Condon told the magazine. “He’s confused about what he wants. It’s somebody who’s just realizing that he has these feelings. And Josh makes something really subtle and delicious out of it. And that’s what has its payoff at the end, which I don’t want to give away. But it is a nice, exclusively gay moment in a Disney movie.”

In response, an Alabama movie theater decided to pull its scheduled screenings of Disney’s live-action remake because of the film’s inclusion of a “homosexual character.”

Also Read: 4 Reasons Why 'Beauty and the Beast' Killed It at the Box Office

In Russia, the film received an age restriction, meaning people under the age of 16 will not be able to go see the movie in theaters without being accompanied by an adult.

This came three days after Vitaly Milonov, an MP of the United Russia party, asked the country’s culture minister to screen the film prior to its March 16 Russian release and to “take measures to totally ban” it if the film contains “elements of propaganda of homosexuality.”

Doesn’t seem to bother anyone else: “Beauty and the Beast” hauled in a massive $170 million in the US and another $180 million abroad over its opening weekend.

[SeekAndFind]

[Opinionated Blowhard]

Well, for once a major Hollywood studio is putting its money where its mouth is. At least they aren’t being hypocritical this time — loudly preaching a holier-than-thou gay agenda in America while quietly taking it out of movies in markets where it wouldn’t fly. Let’s see if Disney caves in when the riots start and Mickey Mouse ends up on the “Behead Those Who Insult Islam” posters.

[SeekAndFind]

On the other hand....

Beauty and the Beast Pulled From Cinemas In Kuwait

EXCERPT:

Beauty and the Beast has been pulled from Kuwaiti cinemas amid concerns from censors.

The live-action remake of the classic animation makes LeFou, villain Gaston’s sidekick, the first openly gay character in a Disney film.

A board member at the National Cinema Company, which operates most of Kuwait’s cinemas, said an edited version might be screened later this week.

Disney is yet to comment on the move.

Beauty and the Beast, starring Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as the Beast, has taken more than $350m (£282m) around the world and opened in Kuwait on Thursday, rated PG-13.

[CitizenUSA]

So glad they managed to keep that all important “gay” scene. Homosexuality is just so critical to the story line...

/s

[jackibutterfly]

"But it is a nice, exclusively gay moment in a Disney movie.”"

Ewwwww!

[SeekAndFind]

On the other hand....

Beauty and the Beast Pulled From Cinemas In Kuwait

EXCERPT:

Beauty and the Beast has been pulled from Kuwaiti cinemas amid concerns from censors.

The live-action remake of the classic animation makes LeFou, villain Gaston’s sidekick, the first openly gay character in a Disney film.

A board member at the National Cinema Company, which operates most of Kuwait’s cinemas, said an edited version might be screened later this week.

Disney is yet to comment on the move.

Beauty and the Beast, starring Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as the Beast, has taken more than $350m (£282m) around the world and opened in Kuwait on Thursday, rated PG-13.

On the other hand....

Beauty and the Beast Pulled From Cinemas In Kuwait

EXCERPT:

Beauty and the Beast has been pulled from Kuwaiti cinemas amid concerns from censors.

The live-action remake of the classic animation makes LeFou, villain Gaston’s sidekick, the first openly gay character in a Disney film.

A board member at the National Cinema Company, which operates most of Kuwait’s cinemas, said an edited version might be screened later this week.

Disney is yet to comment on the move.

Beauty and the Beast, starring Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as the Beast, has taken more than $350m (£282m) around the world and opened in Kuwait on Thursday, rated PG-13.

[mewzilla]

Ok, anyone else wondering whose palm got greased with how much..?

[Emergencyawesome]

People here said the scene was over hyped and much ado about nothing.

[AppyPappy]

I think it was a work by Disney to spin up interest in the film. Get everyone outraged only to find it was nothing.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: People here said the scene was over hyped and much ado about nothing.

My neighbor brought her kids to the opening show and said she missed whatever moment that was....

[Pearls Before Swine]

That’s embarassing. It’s hard to shout “USA! USA!” when Hollywood is pushing LGBT propaganda globally as American “culture.”

[SeekAndFind]

RE: I think it was a work by Disney to spin up interest in the film. Get everyone outraged only to find it was nothing.

Director Bill Condon was the one who opened his big trap and “leaked” the idea that the character, LeFou was gay in an interview. Had he simply kept quiet, there would have been no controversy.

[mrmeyer]

Hollywood ain’t America.

[mrmeyer]

Hollywood ain’t America.

[Pearls Before Swine]

Hollywood ain’t America.

Fortunately. We know that. But, overseas, the distinction is less clear. Disney is a big name in American entertainment.

[blueunicorn6]

Homosexual sex is just so sweet and romantic.

One male puts his penis into another male’s anal canal and they sing a duet of,

“I Think There’s Something There That Wasn’t There Before.”

[apillar]

Has anybody actually seen this movie? I had no desire to even before the gay thing (not my type of movie). However my sister-in-law saw in Friday and said that the “gay angle” was really overblown and that most viewers would have probably interpreted the gay character LeFou mooning over Gaston as nothing more than over-the-top hero worship, if it wasn’t for them specifically coming out and telling everybody he was meant to have a gay crush. Sort of like the Dumbledore/Harry Potter thing, nobody would have even thought Dumbledore was gay if J.K Rowling had come out and said he was.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

In the world I grew up in he would have been taken out behind the bar and had an attitude adjustment.

[JayAr36]

Hollywood ain’t America.

Not yet but well on our way.