Pencil cases, skirts and hats among items targeted for ‘contradicting Islamic faith and public morals’
Saudi regulators objected to a 12-second scene in which one character refers to her “two mums”. An official said at the time the government was trying to work with Disney to find a solution but ultimately the film did not screen in Saudi cinemas.
Tuesday’s report showed stills of Benedict Cumberbatch in Doctor Strange and of “apparently foreign children waving rainbow flags”.banned in Saudi ArabiaRiyadh has not commented on that film but it has not appeared among the listings in large cinemas.Saudi Arabia lifted a decades-long ban on all cinemas in late 2017, part of a social overhaul spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that is shaking up the conservative kingdom.
The country has since achieved significant growth in cinema ticket sales, with revenues totalling $238m in 2021, a 95% increase on the previous year, according to a report by Variety magazine in January.