The Barbie movie is set to be released in Lebanon, following calls for it to be banned.
It was confirmed by VOX Cinemas that the green light had been given for the film to be released across cinemas in Lebanon.
The Barbie movie will be released on September 7, 2023, in Lebanon, nearly three months after its initial global premiere in July.
“#Barbie is coming to the big screen at #VOXCinemas September 7!” VOX Cinemas Lebanon announced on their Instagram. “Don’t miss out on the global phenomenon you’ll want to see over and over again.”
Why was the Barbie movie delayed?
The decision to air the Barbie movie in Lebanon comes after weeks of controversy surrounding the film.
The country’s culture minister Mohammad Mortada announced that he requested the Lebanese Interior Ministry to “take all necessary measures to ban showing” of the movie in Lebanon. The minister previously claimed it “contradicts religious values”.
There had been previously a region-wide delay in the release of Barbie in the Middle East.
It was announced at the beginning of July that the release of the highly anticipated film, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, would be delayed until August 31, 2023. Questions even began to arise if the film would face a complete ban in the Middle East.
However, the release date was eventually brought forward to August 10, 2023, for those in the UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The movie did, however, face a complete ban in Kuwait.
Kuwaiti state news agency (KUNA) announced the film had officially been banned by the Kuwaiti Ministry of Information’s committee on cinematic censorship. KUNA cited a statement from the under-secretary of the Ministry for Press and Publication, Lafy Al-Subei, stating that ban had “stemmed from keenness on protection of public and social traditions”.
Despite the delay in release, Barbie has been a huge success both regionally and worldwide, making over $1 billion globally since its release.
