Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” will not screen in the Middle East nations of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, as well as other countries, TheWrap has confirmed.
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait both did not grant the film a release certificate, while local censors in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates had requested cuts that Disney and 20th Century Studios opted not to make, an individual with knowledge said, and the film will not be released to those markets.
However, the studio expects the film to be released in other Middle Eastern nations.
While no specific reason was given for why “West Side Story” was banned, Spielberg’s remake of the movie musical classic includes a character named Anybodys portrayed by nonbinary actor Iris Menas, and the teenage character in the new version is written as a transgender or nonbinary person.