Kuwait, Lebanon move to ban 'Barbie' as blockbuster film reaches Mideast cinemas

Barbie opened in the Middle East on Thursday — but moves by Kuwait and Lebanon to ban the film have raised questions over how widely it will be released.

Kuwait announced its ban late Wednesday, saying the film promotes “ideas and beliefs that are alien to the Kuwaiti society and public order,” without elaborating, according to a statement published by the state-run Kuna news agency.

While deciding on any foreign movie, Kuwait's censorship committee usually orders "censoring of the scenes that run counter to public ethics", an official was quoted as saying late on Wednesday. "But (if) a film carries alien concepts, message or unacceptable behaviour, the committee decides to bar the stuff in question as a whole."

In Lebanon, Culture Minister Mohammad Mortada said the film was found to “contradict values of faith and morality”. His request to ban the film was forwarded to Lebanon's General Security agency — which falls under the Interior Ministry and traditionally handles censorship decisions — to make the final verdict. The move has already sparked an uproar in Lebanon.

The Warner Bros. movie about the iconic dolls has grossed over $1 billion in less than a month since opening in other markets. The film — led and produced by Margot Robbie, directed and co-written by Greta Gerwig — crossed $400 million domestic and $500 million internationally faster than any other movie at the studio, including the Harry Potter films.

In the UAE, the movie has already broken records in some cinemas, with thousands of tickets sold on opening day on Thursday. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are also set to release the film this evening.

The film's release in the region was initially planned for August 31 but was recently brought forward, indicating that any censorship issues had been resolved.

• Will under-15s be allowed to watch 'Barbie' in UAE cinemas?