Beauty and the Beast could be pulled from Malaysian screens because of gay scene

Moviegoers in Malaysia may not get to see Disney’s upcoming Beauty and the Beast, as the studio has decided to pull the film from Malaysian theatres over controversy surrounding a scene which involves display of homosexuality.

The studio has made it clear that the movie would not be cut, but the release date would be moved to March 30, giving more time to the censor board to make a decision, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

The censor board has to decide on whether or not it would allow the release of the movie without any cuts or changes.

Malaysia has strict laws against homosexuality. The country’s Film Censorship Board allows for LGBT characters to be depicted onscreen as long as they show “repentance”.

Recently, it was reported that Russia was considering a ban on Beauty and the Beast, but the country’s culture ministry said the film would be allowed to run with the condition that audience members under the age of 16 wouldn’t be admitted to screenings.