Disney/Pixar's latest animated feature ONWARD has hit a bump in the road along its animated adventure after being banned in multiple Middle East markets due to a minor reference to a lesbian relationship.
While the film centers around two teenage elf brothers in a mythical world who embark on a quest to reconnect with their late father, the animated fantasy film does include a passing reference to an LGBTQA+ relationship between two minor characters in the film.
At one point in Pixar's enchanted escapade, during a scene that includes the two lead characters, voiced by Chris Pratt and Tom Holland, the brotherly duo engage in a conversation about parenting with two female police officers. The purple-skinned cyclops officer named Specter, voiced by Lena Waithe, sympathizes with Officer Bronco (Mel Rodriguez) about the stresses of child rearing by saying, “It’s not easy being a new parent – my girlfriend’s daughter got me pulling my hair out, okay?”
While the above bit of dialogue will appear to many as harmless on all fronts, censors in countries hailing from Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have seen fit to ban the film due to the LGBTQA+ reference. Meanwhile, in other Middle East markets, including Bahrain, Lebanon and Egypt, the film continues to screen.
Then there's Russia, who in an effort to censor ONWARD has seen fit to alter the scene by replacing the word "girlfriend" with "partner," in addition to never mentioning Specter's gender.
Despite losing screen time in the above-mentioned markets, ONWARD has banked $2 million at the box office in Thursday night preview screenings. The film is set to open on 4,200 screens this weekend, at which point I'm sure it will bank a pretty penny and then some.