Spider-Man fans in Saudi Arabia disappointed to know that they will not able to watch the new movie “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” in their local theatres. The Saudi Cinema authority, in charge of what movies shown in the Kingdom, said on Tuesday that the movie has some scenes that not allowed by their rules. Unless the movie makers change those scenes, the movie will not shown in Saudi Arabia.
Many people in Saudi Arabia surprised by this decision and wondered what was wrong with the movie. Some of them tried to book tickets online for the movie, but they could not find any. Empire Entertainment, the company that brings Sony Pictures movies to the Middle East, not said anything about why the movie banned. But their website still shows the movie as coming soon on June 22.
Some people think that the movie might have something to do with same-sex relationships, which are illegal in Saudi Arabia and many other Muslim countries. Earlier in 2022, another animated movie called “Lightyear” from Disney-Pixar also banned in these countries because it had two characters who were in love with each other and were of the same gender.
These countries also ask Netflix and other online platforms to remove or hide any shows or movies that they think are against their religion and culture. The new Spider-Man movie about a young boy named Miles who lives in Brooklyn and has spider powers. He meets Gwen, another girl who also has spider powers, and they travel to different worlds where there are other people like them.
They have to work together to save reality from a big threat. But they also have different opinions and sometimes fight with each other.
The movie is a hit in the US and Canada, making a lot of money in its first weekend. It’s praised by critics and audiences. It’s the second film in a popular series began in 2018 and considered one of the best Spider-Man movies.