Disney pulls Beauty And The Beast from cinemas in Malaysia

Malaysia’s censorship board approved the release of Disney’s new big picture on the condition that the ‘gay moment’ was removed.

According to The Guardian, Disney bosses have now decided not to let the film’s release go ahead and an ‘internal review’ is underway.

Abdul Halim Abdul Hamid, who is the chairman of the Malaysian film censorship board, revealed he was unclear as to why Disney had pulled the film from release in Malaysia’s cinemas, given that he board had approved its release as a PG13 certificate film on the condition it was censored.

In a statement, he said: ‘We have approved it but there is a minor cut involving a gay moment. It is only one short scene but it is inappropriate because many children will be watching this movie.’

In Malaysia, homosexuality can be punished with up to 20 years in prison. Film censors demand that if a gay person is shown in a movie, they must either be shown in a purely negative light, or they must be seen to apologise for their homosexuality.

Disney director Bill Condon first revealed that the film featured Disney’s first ‘exclusively gay moment’ during interviews ahead of this Friday’s release.

It sees Josh Gad’s character Le Fou infatuated with Gaston, his best friend.

This ‘gay moment’ also caused a fuss in Russia, with Russian officials giving it a 16+ rating, meaning Disney’s intended young audience will miss out.

Vyacheslav Telnov, head of the Culture Ministry’s film unit, told KinoPoisk.ru (via Deadline): ‘We will issue the film distribution license without any problems.

‘The minimum age is 16+.’

Writer: Amy Duncan for Metro.co.uk