Latest news with #SnowWhite
Buzz Feed
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
21 Banned Movies
Snow White (2025) was banned in Lebanon because it starred Gal Gadot. This wasn't because of her acting – it was because she's Israeli-born and served a mandatory two-year service in the Israel Defense Forces. Lebanon actually has an "Israel Boycott List," which is why a lot of movies starring Israeli-born actors aren't released there. There was also a rumor that Snow White was banned in Kuwait because it featured Gal Gadot, but that was proven false. Queer (2024) was banned in Turkey for its "provocative content." The LGBTQ+ film starred Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey, and it featured brief full-frontal male nudity (which was very hot!!!!!!). The film's director, Luca Guadagnino, addressed the ban, saying, "They banned the movie because they said the movie was creating social disorder. I wonder if they've seen the movie or if they are just judging it by the outline or, let's say, the facetious stupidity of some journalism focusing on James Bond going gay.' Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979) was banned in several different towns across the United States because of its "controversial themes about Christianity." This movie was also banned in several countries. For example, Ireland banned it from 1979–1987, and Norway banned it for a full year until 1980. The studio even used these bans as a way to promote the film. In Sweden, they added the tagline "the film so funny that it got banned in Norway." Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) was banned in the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Lebanon for featuring a single animated frame with a trans flag on it. The trans flag appears VERY briefly in Gwen Stacy's bedroom, and it reads "protect trans kids." Unfortunately, there are extra strict guidelines for films in some countries — especially for movies with kids as the target audience — which need to abide by "local customs and values." Barbie (2023) was banned in Vietnam because there's a scene that features a map with the "nine-dash line" (a controversial divider used by China to represent its territorial claims in the South China Sea) on it. Several countries disagree with China's territorial claims, so this isn't the first time a depiction of the nine-dash line has led to a movie being banned. For example, in 2019, the animated film Abominable was banned in Vietnam, and the Philippines' government also called for a boycott of the film. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) was banned in certain countries all across Europe, including in Finland from 1974–1996, for its graphic violence. The movie was initially released in the UK and ran for a full year in London, but it was then banned for 25 years. The British Board of Film Classification even banned the word "chainsaw" from appearing in movie titles during that time. Tobe Hopper, the movie's director, disagreed with the ban, stating that there's "relatively little blood" in the actual film. He went into detail about one scene in particular, when the character Pam is hanged on a meat hook, saying, "You don't see penetration. You don't see blood splatter. There is the shot when she's holding onto the hook and the camera pans down her body, and she's over this washtub. There's no blood running from her body into the tub, but you know what the tub is for. And a lot of people swear that they saw blood, because they know what it's for. And the washtub comes out again later, so as not to ruin the carpet when they're in the dinner scene." Lightyear (2022) was banned in several OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) member states — including Egypt, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia — because of a brief same-sex kiss between two characters. Disney originally cut the scene entirely because of this backlash, but it was ultimately added back in after a group of Pixar employees spoke out in opposition via an open letter to Disney. Alternate versions of the scene were then released in certain countries, like in Russia where the word "girlfriend" was changed to "partner." Here's a snippet from the open letter to Disney, which you can read in full here: "We at Pixar have personally witnessed beautiful stories, full of diverse characters, come back from Disney corporate reviews shaved down to crumbs of what they once were. Nearly every moment of overtly gay affection is cut at Disney's behest, regardless of when there is protest from both the creative teams and executive leadership at Pixar. Even if creating LGBTQIA+ content was the answer to fixing the discriminatory legislation in the world, we are being barred from creating it." Eternals (2021) was banned in Saudi Arabia and Oman because Marvel's first openly gay superhero, Phastos, had a husband in the movie and shared a kiss with him. It was also banned in Kuwait and Qatar, presumably because those markets have "historically had a problem with the depiction of gods and prophets," i.e. things they consider "blasphemous." Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) was banned all over — like in Kenya, Papua New Guinea, Zimbabwe, and the United Arab Emirates — for featuring strong sexual content. The United Arab Emirates' National Media Council actually proposed that a shortened version of the film could be released, but the studio would have had to cut 35 minutes of "inappropriate scenes" to make it happen, so they instead just pulled the movie entirely. Borat (2006) was banned in Russia — among several other countries — for potentially being offensive to certain peoples' "religious or national sensibilities." Here's the exact reasoning and quote as to why, according to Yuri Vasyuchkov, the head of the film and licensing department for Russia: "We decided not to grant this film a cinema license because there are moments in the film which could offend some viewers' religious or national sensibilities." The Da Vinci Code (2006) was banned in a bunchhh of countries — including Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon — because of "blasphemous content." For example, the movie was banned in Jordan because it "tarnishes the memory of Christian and Islamic figures and contradicts the truth as written in the Bible and the Koran about Jesus." Wonder Woman (2017) was banned in Tunisia because of a Facebook post that its star, Gal Gadot, made in 2014. Her comments defended Israel's war on Gaza in Palestine. The movie was also banned in Lebanon because of their "Anti-Israel Boycott" law, as mentioned earlier in this article. That law is apparently "inconsistently enforced," which is why a few of Gal Gadot's movies have aired there without being banned, like Fast & Furious 6 and Knight and Day. The Human Centipede 2 (2011) was temporarily banned in Australia because of its "level of depictions of violence." Australia has an RC ("refused classification") category for things like movies and video games. Basically, anything with this rating cannot be "sold, hired, advertised, or legally imported in Australia." The Human Centipede 2 originally got an RC rating because it contained "gratuitous, exploitative, or offensive depictions of violence with a very high degree of impact and cruelty." It was later resubmitted for a new rating. Onward (2020) was banned in several countries in the Middle East because the movie depicted Disney's "first" openly gay character. The movie was also censored in Russia by replacing the word "girlfriend" with "partner," and other versions simply edited around mentioning the queer character's gender entirely. Justice for Globby! The Phantom of the Opera (1925) was banned in the United Kingdom for a few different reasons, most famously because it was "too horrifying" for general audiences. Carl Laemmle, one of the uncredited producers of The Phantom of the Opera, tried to dispute this ban back in 1926, but the Cinematograph Exhibitors' Association wouldn't budge. This 99-year-old article from the New York Times about the banning is so fascinating. Natural Born Killers (1994) was banned in Ireland because they were concerned about copycat killers being inspired by the movie. Ireland's censorship board originally didn't give a reason as to why it was banned, and the UK even delayed the release of the movie until the following year because the British Board of Film Classification was unsure if they should give it a rating. Oliver Stone, the movie's director, defended the film against being banned by saying it was a "satire on how the news media can turn serial killers into celebrities." Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) was banned in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, and Egypt because it features a lesbian character. Xochitl Gomez plays America Chavez in the sequel. This character is gay in both the film and the Marvel comics, but unfortunately, it's super common for queer characters to be banned or edited out of movies in the Persian Gulf. Every single movie from the Marx Brothers was banned in Germany because they were Jewish. They made over a dozen films together throughout the '20s–'40s, and even though their mother, Miene Schönberg, was born in Dornum (a village in Germany), their films were still banned in the country. Ireland also banned their movie Monkey Business (1931) for nearly ~70 years~ until the year 2000. This was done in fear that it would "provoke the Irish to anarchy." And finally, their movie Duck Soup (1933) was banned in Italy for over a decade by fascist dictator Benito Mussolini. The film mocked dictators, and he "regarded it as a personal insult."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Disney Stock Slides Despite Box Office Win
Disney (NYSE:DIS) shares slipped nearly 1% Friday despite The Fantastic Four: First Steps pulling in $118 million domestically and $220 million worldwide this opening weekend, on track to top its $300 million budget. The film matched analysts' estimates but missed a $130 million best?case projection, yet it remains the best?performing Marvel movie of 2025 and the highest?grossing non?sequel in six years. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 7 Warning Sign with DIS. Disney stock dipped 0.9% even as the company has seen box office boosts from Lilo & Stitch's $1 billion haul, Captain America's $415 million run and Thunderbolts' $382 million take, offsetting 2025 flops like Snow White and Elio. Year?to?date DIS is still up 8.4% and has climbed 31.8% over the past 12 months, showing investor faith in its content pipeline. Why it matters: When a clear hit fails to lift the stock, it underscores how much investors are balancing theatrical wins against streaming performance, park attendance and broader cost pressures. Investors will be watching Disney's upcoming quarterly update and next weekend's film releases for signs that hits can translate into sustainable share gains. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
Business Insider
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Disney Stock (DIS) Slips Despite The Fantastic Four: First Steps' Box Office Win
Disney (DIS) has scored another box office win with the opening weekend of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) pulled in an estimated $118 million from the domestic box office and $220 million worldwide. This has the film on track to surpass its $300 million budget. Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. The Fantastic Four: First Steps ' box office performance matched analysts' estimates, but fell short of a projected $130 million best-case scenario. Even so, this is the best-performing Marvel film of 2025 and is also the highest-grossing non-sequel Marvel movie released in the last six years. These strong box office numbers could be a sign that superhero fatigue has started to weaken. One potential reason for the film's strong success is its lack of ties to the main Marvel film universe. As a result, viewers didn't have to watch any other shows or movies to understand the events of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Disney Stock Movement Today Disney stock was down 1.03% on Monday, despite the box office success of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. However, the shares were still up 8.42% year-to-date and 31.83% over the past 12 months. DIS stock has been boosted by strong box office releases in 2025: While these have been strong successes, Disney has had some flops this year. Among them are Snow White and Pixar's Elio, both of which failed to recoup their budgets when they hit theaters. Is Disney Stock a Buy, Sell, or Hold? Turning to Wall Street, the analysts' consensus rating for Disney is Strong Buy, based on 16 Buy and three Hold ratings over the past three months. With that comes an average DIS stock price target of $134, representing a potential 11.71% upside for the shares.
New York Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Rachel Zegler breaks silence after suffering health scare during ‘Evita' performance
Rachel Zegler is speaking out. The actress, 24, has broken her silence after abruptly bringing her 'Evita' performance to a grinding halt last week over a mystery illness. Zegler took to social media Saturday to thank the cast and crew of the London-based theater production after she was forced to exit stage left mid-performance last Thursday. Advertisement 5 Rachel Zegler has broken her silence after abruptly bringing her 'Evita' performance to a grinding halt last week over a mystery illness. The 'Snow White' star shared a photo of herself on stage at the London Palladium on the West End on her Instagram Story. 'Cannot describe the love in this building every night, but today in particular,' Zegler wrote to her 2.5 million followers on the platform. Advertisement 'I am in awe of this company. The way they come together and never leave anyone behind.' Zegler praised the cast's response to her abrupt time-out, saying they 'truly hold each other's hands throughout each number, act and show.' 'The result speaks for itself,' she went on. 'Well done swing nation. Today… my heart literally overflows for you all.' 5 Zegler took to social media Saturday to thank the cast and crew of the London-based theater production. Instagram/Rachel Zegler Advertisement The actress marked her return to the stage Friday on her Instagram Story by sharing several photos of herself on stage at the West End theater. And although she unexpectedly left mid-performance Thursday, it was reported that her departure was not announced until intermission. Bella Brown, Zegler's understudy, took over during the musical's second act and performed the production's signature song, 'Don't Cry for Me Argentina.' 5 Zegler praised the cast's response to her abrupt time-out, saying they 'truly hold each other's hands throughout each number, act and show.' Raphael Pour-Hashemi/Mega Advertisement 5 'I am in awe of this company. The way they come together and never leave anyone behind,' Zegler wrote. Raphael Pour-Hashemi/Mega The audience was so pleased with Brown's performance that they gave the young starlet an almost five-minute standing ovation. 'Today really showed just how important swings and covers are within this industry,' Brown wrote after the performance. 'They are pillars of a show! A proud day to be at 'Evita.'' 'What a lucky audience getting to see both me and MY ANGEL REG ZEG!' 5 Zeglar stars as the former first lady of Argentina, Eva Perón, in director Jamie Lloyd's revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic. JP / BACKGRID Zeglar stars as the former first lady of Argentina, Eva Perón, in director Jamie Lloyd's revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic. The production, which kicked off in June and is scheduled to run through September, marks Zegler's London stage debut.
New York Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Rachel Zegler returns to ‘Evita' — one day after suffering health scare mid-performance
The show must go on. Rachel Zegler, 24, returned to her role in 'Evita' on Friday, July 25, after abruptly leaving the London Palladium one day earlier due to a mystery illness. The actress marked her surprising return on her Instagram Stories, where she shared several photos of herself back on stage at the West End theater. 10 Rachel Zegler returned to her role in 'Evita' on Friday after abruptly leaving the London Palladium one day earlier due to illness. Instagram/@lulukener 10 Rachel Zegler marked her return on Instagram, where she shared several photos of herself back on stage at the West End theater. Instagram/@loesnikken Zegler also shared a clip of herself taking a final bow at the end of Friday night's show. 'An incredible performance,' one fan captioned a photo that Zegler later posted. 'Me walking into the Palladium for a two-show day here at Evita,' the actress added in another pic shared Saturday morning. 10 The actress also shared a clip of herself taking a final bow at the end of Friday night's show. Instagram/@joshhopkins Although the 'Snow White' actress suddenly left 'Evita' on Thursday evening due to an unspecified illness, People reported that her departure was not announced until intermission. Bella Brown, Zegler's understudy, took over during the musical's second act and performed the production's signature song, 'Don't Cry for Me Argentina.' The London audience was so pleased with Brown's performance that they gave the young starlet an almost five-minute standing ovation. 10 tktk Instagram/@rachelzegler 'Today really showed just how important swings and covers are within this industry,' the actress wrote on her Instagram Stories after Thursday night's show. 'They are pillars of a show! A proud day to be at 'Evita.'' 'What a lucky audience getting to see both me and MY ANGEL REG ZEG!' Brown added in a follow-up post. The Post reached out to Zegler's rep for comment. 10 Rachel Zegler and cast attend the press night after party for 'Evita' at the London Palladium on July 1, 2025, in London, stars as the former first lady of Argentina, Eva Perón, in director Jamie Lloyd's revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic. The production, which kicked off in June and is scheduled to run through September, marks Zegler's London stage debut. 'I couldn't be luckier,' the actress wrote on Instagram before the musical's opening night. 'I have such a deep love for everyone who has touched this production.' 10 Rachel Zegler attends the press night after party for 'Evita' at the London Palladium on July 1, 2025 in London, England.'I never thought I would get to live my dream this way. Surrounded by the most amazing people. I feel so held,' she added. Zegler also revealed that starring in Jamie Lloyd's 'Evita' had always been a dream of hers. ''Evita' has been such an important musical to me since I was a little girl, when my dad and I would sing 'Don't Cry for Me Argentina' together on my back patio,' she told Deadline in March. 'The opportunity to bring Jamie Lloyd's singular, visionary ideas to life onstage is an honor unlike any other.' 10 Rachel Zegler out and about in London during a break from 'Evita.' BACKGRID 'The stage has always felt like home to me, and I can't wait to make my West End debut in such great company,' she said. Still, the 'West Side Story' star's 'Evita' performance has not been without criticism. During the iconic tune 'Don't Cry for Me Argentina,' Zegler leaves the London Palladium stage and performs the song from an outdoor balcony while those in the audience stay inside and watch from a screen. 'I'm excited to see her, but not sure how I feel about paying that much to watch the most iconic moment on a screen,' one person complained. 10 Rachel Zegler performing 'Don't Cry for Me Argentina' from a balcony outside the London Palladium. John Rainford / 10 Rachel Zegler performing 'Don't Cry for Me Argentina' from a balcony outside the London Palladium. John Rainford/INSTARimages 'Sorry, are you saying I've paid that much for 2 tickets and she's singing the biggest number outside at people who haven't paid?' another paying theatergoer fussed. However, others praised the 'incredible' and 'emotional' balcony scene. 'Absolutely stunning idea and a beautiful symbol – while the rich sit inside the theatre watching from the screen, Evita is outside on the balcony of the theatre addressing all those who can't afford to go to the theatre and/or are living on the streets of London,' one attendee gushed on X. 10 Rachel Zegler and backup dancer Nathan Louis-Fernand at a Sabrina Carpenter concert together on July 6. BACKGRID Meanwhile, Zegler has been enjoying her time behind the scenes of 'Evita.' She was spotted kissing backup dancer Nathan Louis-Fernand at Hyde Park earlier this month, and the pair were pictured holding hands at a Sabrina Carpenter concert on July 6. Zegler previously faced backlash while promoting Disney's live-action 'Snow White,' which flopped at the box office earlier this year. After slamming those who voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 election, she allegedly butted heads with co-star Gal Gadot over their differences regarding the Israel-Palestinian war in Gaza.
