Wicked is REMOVED from Kuwait theaters for bizarre reason… one year after banning Barbie

Wicked has been pulled from the cinema slate in the country of Kuwait, just one day before the musical adaptation was set to hit theaters on Thursday, December 5.

Although the reason is not officially known, local media have speculated that the film’s removal from theaters is due to its LGBTQ+ cast. Variety.

Last year, Barbie was notably banned from cinemas in Kuwait to protect “public ethics and social traditions.” Lebanon had also taken the step of not showing the film because it “promotes homosexuality.”

If this is the case for Wicked, it would be a bizarre move, as there is no storyline involving open homosexuality – although Ariana Grande recently said she thought her character was “kind of in the closet.”

Some fans of the musical have said that the relationship between Elphaba and Glinda has heavy homoerotic undertones, but they are not considered explicitly queer characters.

Cast members in Wicked, such as Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Bowen Yang and Marissa Bode, identify as queer.

The musical fantasy – which also stars Ethan Slater and Jeff Goldblum – premiered in the US over Thanksgiving last week and broke box office records.

Domestically, Wicked – an adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical – grossed $263.1 million in US ticket sales on a budget of $150 million. And worldwide, the film has currently grossed a whopping $360 million.

Other records the project has broken since its release just a week earlier include becoming the highest-grossing film based on a Broadway musical at the domestic box office ever.

It also had the largest first day opening for a film based on a Broadway musical and also had the second largest domestic opening for a musical film in the month of November.

The Wicked soundtrack landed at number two on the Billboard 200 chart – becoming the highest first-week ranking for a musical adaptation.

Despite the film’s success to date and critical acclaim, Kuwait made the decision to pull the film from its theatrical slate – the same move made in August 2023 with Greta Gerwig’s Barbie.

Minister Mohammad Mortada said at the time that the film “promotes homosexuality and sexual transformation” and “contradicts the values ​​of faith and morality” by diminishing the importance of the family unit.

Based on Mortada’s decision, Home Affairs Minister Bassam Mawlawi had in turn asked the General Security Censorship Committee, which falls under the Ministry of Home Affairs and is traditionally responsible for censorship decisions, to review the film and issue an opinion.

Kuwait followed in Lebanon’s footsteps and said it had banned Barbie and the supernatural horror film Talk to Me to protect “public ethics and social traditions,” the state news agency said.

Lebanon was the first Arab country to organize a gay pride week in 2017 and is widely seen as a safe haven for the LGBT community in the predominantly conservative Middle East.

But the issue has come into sharper focus recently, leading to tensions.

Last year, Mawlawi made the decision to ban events that “promote sexual perversion” in Lebanon, which is believed to refer to LGBT-friendly gatherings.

In a speech last July, Nasrallah called on Lebanese authorities to take action against material he said promotes homosexuality, including by “banning” it.

Ariana Grande most notably played the role of Glinda in Wicked, while her co-star Cynthia Erivo played Elphaba.

While pushing ahead of the film’s release, the former Nickelodeon star had suggested that Glinda is “in the closet.”

During an interview with Gay times‘, the singer said: ‘Glinda might be a bit in the closet. You never know! Give it some time.’

She said Oz is a “celebration of uniqueness,” adding, “Everyone is just so beautifully strange and that goes all the way back to L. Frank Baum’s books where literally the most overused word in the books is ‘weird .”‘

Grande said, “every day in the Emerald City [the capital city of the fictional Land of Oz] is a Pride parade… just like the chickens, those chickens are gay.”

Erivo also commented on her own character during the same interview, telling the outlet, “I think Elphie, she goes where the wind blows.”

“I think she loves Glinda. I think she likes love. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with celebrating the deep bond they both have.”

The actress continued, “They are indeed in a relationship. It’s true love, and that’s probably why people send it, you know? Because what they build together is an unbreakable bond and love.’

Wicked received critical acclaim upon its release, and fans recently shared their reaction to speculation that Grande could win an Oscar for her role as Glinda.

One fan wrote on X: “Give Ariana Grande the Oscar or at least Golden Globe for best performance in a comedy.”

Another shared their initial reaction to the casting news, writing, “Me a year ago: ‘Really? Ariana Grande in Wicked? Idk… Does she actually have any acting chops?’

But after seeing the musical adaptation, he added, “Me tonight: ‘Wicked is a near-perfect movie and Ariana Grande might be the best thing about it. Goddamn, she’s so good! Is she going to win the Oscar?’

Some critics have labeled the film a “fantastic spectacle,” while others said that “it doesn’t come close to defying gravity.”

Brian Viner of The Ny Breaking wrote: ‘It’s a fantastic spectacle, begging to be seen on the biggest screen possible. Erivo and Grande are both perfect and downright sensational.”

‘I must confess that I find Wicked’s songs a bit repetitive, but it’s hard to imagine anyone could deliver them better than these two, while Grande has quite the comedic flair, which she brings out every time Glinda plays her throws luscious locks.

‘[Michelle] Yes, [Jonathan] Bailey and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard provide great support,” he added.

Peter Debruge in favor Variety added: ‘Unlike several recent tuners, who tried to hide their musical dimension from the public, Wicked embraces its identity like Elphaba does her emerald green skin.

“It turns out that such trust makes all the difference in how they are perceived,” he continued.

However, contrary to this The Telegraph wrote that Grande and Erivo “don’t come close to defying gravity in this bloated, beige film adaptation of the Wizard of Oz prequel.”

The musical adaptation’s promotional tour was filled with emotional moments from its leading stars, with Ariana and Cynthia often shedding tears as they reflected on the film.

Wicked will also return to cinemas on Christmas Day this year for special, sing-along screenings.

It comes not long after fans were outraged following a ban imposed to prevent moviegoers from singing along during the film at AMC theaters in the US.

While the first part of Wicked is already in theaters, the second part will premiere next year in November 2025.