An Alabama movie theater has decided to pull its scheduled screenings of Disney’s live-action “Beauty and the Beast” remake because of the film’s inclusion of a “homosexual character.”
“For those that do not know ‘Beauty and the Beast’ is ‘premiering’ their first homosexual character. The producer also says at the end of the movie ‘there will be a surprise for same-sex couples.’ If we can not take our 11 year old grand daughter and 8 year old grandson to see a movie we have no business watching it,” a staff member for the Henagar Drive-In Theatre posted on Facebook on Friday.
Earlier this week, director Bill Condon told Attitude Magazine that “Beauty and the Beast” would feature an “exclusively gay moment” involving Josh Gad’s character, LeFou, the buddy of vain villain Gaston (Luke Evans).
“LeFou is somebody who on one day wants to be Gaston and on another day wants to kiss Gaston,” Condon told the magazine. “He’s confused about what he wants. It’s somebody who’s just realizing that he has these feelings. And Josh makes something really subtle and delicious out of it. And that’s what has its payoff at the end, which I don’t want to give away. But it is a nice, exclusively gay moment in a Disney movie.”
But that creative choice doesn’t sit well with the new owners of the drive-in in Henagar, Alabama, who cited their Christian beliefs for their decision.
“If I can’t sit through a movie with God or Jesus sitting by me then we have no business showing it,” they wrote. “I know there will be some that do not agree with this decision. That’s fine. We are first and foremost Christians. We will not compromise on what the Bible teaches. We will continue to show family oriented films so you can feel free to come watch wholesome movies without worrying about sex, nudity, homosexuality and foul language. Thank you for your support!”
A representative for Disney, which plans to release the movie on March 17, did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment on the theater’s decision.
“Beauty and the Beast” stars Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellen and Emma Thompson.
The film will hit theaters on March 17.
See the Facebook post below.