‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ will not be released in the United Arab Emirates after failing to meet the country’s censorship requirements, Variety confirmed. A scene featuring a poster in the background of the frame that depicts the transgender flag and reads “Protect Trans Lives” is believed to be one of the concerns that prevented a post from being approved, sources said.
The UAE ban comes just a week before the film’s scheduled release date from Sony Pictures in the region on June 22. However, it is not uncommon for the country’s censorship board to suppress the impending release of films containing LGBTQ+ content. Another animated film faced a similar situation last summer, when Disney and Pixar’s “Lightyear” was not released in the country due to a scene depicting a gay kiss between two guards. lesbian space. The ‘Toy Story’ spin-off has also been banned from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Malaysia.
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The censorship board’s decision on ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ also represents a deviation after the 2018 film’s predecessor ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ saw a local release, grossing 1.7 million. dollars in the territory. It’s still unclear whether “Across the Spider-Verse” will receive a release in Saudi Arabia, though the country’s censorship requirements often align with those of the United Arab Emirates.
Along with its presentation of a “Protect Trans Lives” poster, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” also drew attention to how it explores the arc of Gwen Stacy (voiced by Hailee Steinfeld), which some viewers interpreted as a transcoded character. In the film, Stacy hides the secret of her true identity from her father. Scenes set in the character dimension also prominently feature the colors of the transgender flag. However, Stacy is not explicitly identified as transgender in the film.
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