The full version of Beauty and the Beast will be screened in Malaysia despite controversy surrounding a "gay moment" in the film
The full version of Beauty and the Beast will be screened in Malaysia despite controversy surrounding a “gay moment” in the film.
According to local movie theaters, Beauty and the Beast is now set for a March 30 release in the Asian country after being shelved due to controversy surrounding a gay moment featuring Josh Gad‘s character LeFou. The Malaysian censor board originally tried to cut the scene due to the country’s strict laws against homosexuality, but the film will be screened in it entirety now, according local theater chain Golden Screen Cinemas.
The film was previously scheduled for a March 16 release but was pulled from theaters before its premiere.
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Both secular and religious laws prohibit homosexuality in the Southeast Asian nation, though depictions of gay people are allowed in media only if the portrayal is negative, the BBC reports. In Malaysia, homosexuality is punishable by law.
Beauty and the Beast opened in other global territories, including the U.S., last week, shattering records with $350 million in ticket sales worldwide.