EXCLUSIVE: Sony and Wayfarer Studios’ Blake Lively romance drama It Ends With Us has been blocked for theatrical release in Qatar due to kissing scenes, sources inform us.
The country’s Censorship Committee is the clearance authority on what plays in theaters. Note that the Justin Baldoni starring and directed feature based on the Colleen Hoover novel is rated PG-13. The movie deals heavily with the issue of domestic abuse and centers around a woman’s psyche as she straddles between staying in a toxic relationship or departing it.
Qatar, situated on the Qatar Peninsula on the NE coast of the Arabian Peninsula of the Middle East, is predominantly Muslim.
The ban on It Ends With Us follows in the wake of the country barring other Hollywood event titles such as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Eternals, but also female-skewing ones such as Barbie, Anyone But You, No Hard Feelings and West Side Story.
It Ends With Us is expected to surprise at the box office this weekend with a take of $40M-$50M after posting a great $7M in Thursday previews, a take that’s not far from Twilight‘s previews of $7.5M. There is a chance the Lively movie could upset her husband Ryan Reynolds’ hold on No. 1 for the third weekend in a row with the Marvel Studios’ title Deadpool & Wolverine.
It Ends With Us pulled in a female audience of 82% last night stateside, has $18M in advance tickets sales for the weekend, and is 4 1/2 stars in Screen Engine/Comscore PostTrak exits and 95% with audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.