Wicked has been taken off the cinema listings in the country of Kuwait just one day before the musical adaptation was set to release in its theaters on Thursday, December 5.
While the reason is not officially known, it is speculated by local media that the film’s removal from theaters is due to the LGBTQ+ cast, per Variety.
Last year, Barbie was notably banned from Kuwait cinemas in order to protect ‘public ethics and social traditions.’ Lebanon had also made the move to not show the film due to it ‘promoting homosexuality.’
If this is the case for Wicked, it would be a bizarre move since there is no storyline involving overt homosexuality – although Ariana Grande recently said she thought her character was a ‘little in the closet.’
Some fans of the musical have said that Elphaba and Glinda’s relationship carries heavy homoerotic undertones, but they are not considered to be explicitly queer characters.
Cast members in Wicked such as Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Bowen Yang and Marissa Bode identify as queer.
The musical fantasy – which also stars Ethan Slater and Jeff Goldblum – premiered last week in the U.S. over the Thanksgiving holiday, and broke box office records.
Domestically, Wicked – which was adapted from the beloved Broadway musical – raked in $263.1 million in U.S. ticket sales on a budget of $150 million. And globally, the movie has currently garnered around a whopping $360 million.
Wicked has been taken off the cinema listings in the country of Kuwait just one day before the musical adaptation was set to release in its theaters on Thursday, December 5; Grande and Erivo seen in November in L.A.
Other records that the project broke since its release only one week earlier include it becoming the highest-grossing film ever that is based on a Broadway musical at the domestic box office.
It also had the largest first day opening for a film based on a Broadway musical and also had the second biggest domestic opening for a musical film in the month of November.
The soundtrack to Wicked landed the number two spot on the Billboard 200 chart – and became the highest first week ranking for a musical adaptation.
Despite the movie’s success thus far and critical acclaim, Kuwait made the decision to take down the film from cinema listings – the same move made with Greta Gerwig’s Barbie in August 2023.
Minister Mohammad Mortada said at the time said the film was found to ‘promote homosexuality and sexual transformation’ and ‘contradicts values of faith and morality’ by diminishing the importance of the family unit.
Based on Mortada’s move, Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi had in turn asked General Security’s censorship committee, which falls under the interior ministry and is traditionally responsible for censorship decisions, to review the film and give its recommendation.
Kuwait followed in Lebanon’s footsteps, saying it had banned Barbie and supernatural horror film Talk to Me to protect ‘public ethics and social traditions’, the state news agency said.
Lebanon was the first Arab country to hold a gay pride week in 2017 and has generally been seen as a safe haven for the LGBT community in the broadly conservative Middle East.
While the reason is not officially known, it is speculated by local media that the film’s removal from theaters is due to the LGBTQ + cast, per Variety
Last year, Barbie was notably banned from Kuwait cinemas in order to protect ‘public ethics and social traditions.’ Lebanon had also made the move to not show the film due to it ‘promoting homosexuality’
But the issue has come into sharper focus recently, sparking tensions.
Last year, Mawlawi took a decision to ban events ‘promoting sexual perversion’ in Lebanon, understood to refer to LGBT-friendly gatherings.
In a speech last year in July, Nasrallah called on Lebanese authorities to take action against materials he deemed to be promoting homosexuality, including by ‘banning’ them.
Ariana Grande notably portrayed the role of Glinda in Wicked, while her co-star Cynthia Erivo portrayed Elphaba.
While doing press ahead of the movie’s release, the former Nickelodeon star had suggested that Glinda is ‘in the closet.’
During an interview with Gay Times, the singer stated, ‘Glinda might be a little in the closet. You never know! Give it a little more time.’
She said Oz is a ‘celebration of uniqueness’ while adding, ‘everyone is just so beautifully queer and that roots all the way back to the L. Frank Baum books, where, like, literally the most commonly used word in the books is “queer.”‘
Grande expressed, ‘everyday in the Emerald City [the capital city of the fictional Land of Oz] is a Pride parade… even like the chickens, those chickens are gay.’
Domestically, Wicked – which was adapted from the beloved Broadway musical – raked in $263.1 million in U.S. ticket sales on a budget of $150 million, Billboard reported. And globally, the movie has currently garnered around a whopping $360 million
Erivo also commented on her own character amidst the same interview and told the outlet, ‘I think Elphie, she goes wherever the wind blows.’
‘I think she loves Glinda. I think she loves love. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with celebrating the deep connection that both of them have.’
The actress continued, ‘They do have a relationship. It is true love, which is probably why people are shipping it, you know? Because what they build with each other is an unbreakable bond and love.’
Wicked has garnered critical praise upon its release, and fans recently shared their reaction to speculation that Grande could win an Oscar for her role as Glinda.
One fan penned on X, ‘Give Ariana Grande the Oscar or at least Golden Globe for best performance in a comedy.’
Another shared their initial reaction to the casting news and wrote, ‘Me a year ago: “Really? Ariana Grande in Wicked? Idk… Does she really have the acting chops?”‘
But after seeing the musical adaptation, added, ‘Me tonight: “Wicked is a near perfect movie and Ariana Grande is maybe the best thing about it. Holy s*** she’s so good! Is she gonna win the Oscar?”‘
Some critics have labeled the film as a ‘fabulous spectacle’ while others stated that ‘it doesn’t come close to defying gravity.’
While doing press ahead of the movie’s release, the former Nickelodeon star had suggested that Glinda is ‘in the closet
Wicked has garnered critical praise upon its release, and fans recently shared their reaction to speculation that Grande could win an Oscar for her role as Glinda
The Daily Mail’s Brian Viner penned, ‘It’s a fabulous spectacle, which demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible. Erivo and Grande are both pitch-perfect and altogether sensational.’
‘I confess to finding Wicked’s songs a little repetitive but it’s hard to imagine anyone delivering them better than those two, while Grande has proper comedic flair, which she brings to bear every time Glinda tosses her luxuriant tresses.
‘[Michelle] Yeoh, [Jonathan] Bailey and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard offer splendid support,’ he added.
Peter Debruge for Variety added, ‘Unlike several recent tuners, which tried to hide their musical dimension from audiences, Wicked embraces its identity the way Elphaba does her emerald skin.
‘Turns out such confidence makes all the difference in how they’re perceived,’ he continued.
However, in contrast, The Telegraph wrote that Grande and Erivo, ‘don’t come close to defying gravity in this bloated, beige screen adaptation of the Wizard of Oz prequel.’
The promotional tour of the musical adaptation was filled with emotional moments from the leading stars, with Ariana and Cynthia often shedding tears while reflecting on the film; seen in November in NYC
The promotional tour of the musical adaptation was filled with emotional moments from the leading stars, with Ariana and Cynthia often shedding tears while reflecting on the film.
Wicked will also hit cinemas once again this year on Christmas Day for special, sing-along screenings.
It comes not long after fans were left outraged following a ban that was issued to prevent moviegoers from singing along during the film in AMC theaters across the U.S.
While the first part of Wicked is already in theaters, the second part is slated to premiere next year in November 2025.