Pixar’s newest movie, Lightyear, hasn’t come out yet and is already making headlines for getting banned in several countries.

Following the situation with Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Bill (what critics termed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill) and certain statements from Pixar employees, Disney revealed that a same-sex kiss scene in Lightyear, which had previously been removed, had been put back into the movie. Now, it seems this particular scene is causing some big implications for the movie’s release.

According to Reuters, Disney hasn’t been able to get permission to show Lightyear in theaters in 14 countries in the Middle East and Asia. The film is also “unlikely” to be showed in China, which is the largest movie market in the world.

Lightyear features a brief same-sex kiss between Buzz’s friend, Hawthorne, a female space ranger, and another woman she is in a meaningful relationship with.

The United Arab Emirates has specifically banned the film. According to NPR, the UAE Media Regulatory Office has said that the movie is “is not licensed for public screening in all cinemas in the UAE, due to its violation of the country’s media content standards.”

While the same-sex kiss hasn’t explicitly been listed as the reason for the ban, NPR points out that the UAE, like other countries in the Middle East, “criminalizes same-sex relationships.”

Reuters notes that representatives from several other countries, including “Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia and Lebanon, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on why they would not allow the film to be exhibited.”

Where else has the film’s premiere been impacted? Well, Bloomberg reports that Lightyear won’t be able to be watched by kids in Singapore. According to Yahoo! News, the film has been rated NC16 due to “overt homosexual depictions.” The film will essentially be restricted to those ages 16 and up.

According to the Infocomm Media Development Authority from Singapore, “Given the mature content, IMDA had requested the Distributor (Disney) consider the option of releasing the film in two versions, under our Simultaneous Rating Release (SRS) mechanism. This allows for consumer choice. The Distributor (Disney) has turned down this option.”

One of the producers of Lightyear told Reuters that the authorities in China had asked for cuts to be made to the movie, and Disney declined to make those cuts. So, while Disney has yet to receive an answer from Chinese authorities as to whether the movie will debut there, it appears likely that it may not be allowed to premiere in the country. Reuters notes that “China has rejected other on-screen depictions of homosexuality in the past.”

Galyn Susman, a producer on the Lightyear film, told Reuters that filmmakers will not be making changes to the movie. “We’re not going to cut out anything, especially something as important as the loving and inspirational relationship that shows Buzz what he’s missing by the choices that he’s making, so that’s not getting cut,” Susman said.

How will the potential lack of a Chinese premiere impact Pixar? According to one theater industry expert, China isn’t “make or break” for Pixar. When it came to Toy Story 4, China only contributed 3% to the global box office. The film ultimately made more than $1 worldwide.

Chris Evans, who voices Lightyear in the film, has said, “It’s great that we are a part of something that’s making steps forward in the social inclusion capacity, but it’s frustrating that there are still places that aren’t where they should be.”

Lightyear isn’t Disney’s first film that has gotten some pushback from countries overseas. Disney also refused to cut some references to same-sex couples in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness back in May and the film ultimately did not show in Saudi Arabia and some other Middle Eastern countries.

‘Lightyear’ is set to debut this week and tickets are already on sale. We’ll continue to look for more updates on this situation and let you know what we find.

If you’re looking for more details about Lightyear, click here to hear stories from Chris Evans and more of the team behind the film. Or click here to see details of our experience trying the hilarious Buzz Lightyear ice cream cone in Disney World.

For more about Disney’s position on Florida’s Don’t Say Gay bill, click here. And you can click here to read our initial article about the same-sex kiss’ return to the film.

Stay tuned for more Disney news.

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The post Disney’s ‘Lightyear’ Banned in Some Countries Because of Same-Sex Kiss first appeared on the disney food blog.