UPDATE, May 31: Lebanon has officially banned Wonder Woman hours before the film was scheduled to debut in theaters. The ban, because lead actress Gal Gadot is Israeli, was decided by a six-member Ministry of Economy after the film had already gone through regular censorship procedures. As Variety reports, Batman v. Superman, which also stars Gadot, was not banned last year.
Original post below:
Wonder Woman is supposed to be good. Really good! It's so good that many are saying the first female superhero in a decade (one of only eight since 1920) could revitalize the floundering DC comic book universe. And while the movie looks to be going into a triumphant opening weekend, a group in Lebanon is trying to get Wonder Woman banned from theaters. As the Associated Press reports:
Lebanon is seeking to ban the new Wonder Woman movie because its lead actress, Gal Gadot, is an Israeli—a reflection of how the decades-old animosity between the two neighbors is also infused in the cultural scene. A security official said a formal request for a ban has not yet been received. A ban would require a recommendation from a six-member committee from the Ministry of Economy, a process that has not yet begun, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.
A premiere screening of Wonder Woman isscheduled for Wednesday at a theater in Beirut, but a member of the group called Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel-Lebanon said, "We now await the implementation.... Even if it is one hour before the show, they should ban it anyway."
The AP could not reach officials at Lebanon's Economy Ministry or Warner Bros. for comment. This year, the Egyptian movie Mawlana and the Lebanese movie Beach House were both banned in Lebanon.
