The recently released Blake Lively-starrer romance drama It Ends With Us won't see the light of day in Qatar.  The film has been banned in Qatar due to kissing scenes.  The country's censorship committee has blocked the PG-13 film, from Sony Pictures and Wayfarer Studios, from a theatrical release, reports 'Variety'. ‘It Ends With Us’ and Relationships: Was There a Need for Blake Lively's Movie Adaptation? From Love Bombing to the Depiction of Abuse – a Review From Reader’s Gaze.

'It Ends With Us' features kissing scenes and a non-graphic sex scene in which the characters keep their undergarments on. Qatar has very strict censorship rules and a history of banning American movies, including Greta Gerwig's women-empowerment comedy Barbie, the animated superhero adventure Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Marvel's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness  and Eternals, all of which were rated PG-13 in the US.

Watch It Ends With Us Trailer:

As per 'Variety', Qatar also blocked the R-rated comedy No Hard Feelings, in which Jennifer Lawrence goes nude; the Toy Story spinoff Lightyear, which features a gay kiss; Pixar's Onward, for a vague reference to a lesbian character, and Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell's Anyone but You, which features a couple of steamy romance scenes.

In 2021, Disney refused to comply with censorship cuts requested by Qatar for Steven Spielberg's West Side Story. It's understood that the censors were not approving of Anybodys, a character who is transgender and portrayed by non-binary actor Iris Menas.

Films with LGBTQ references or characters have been routinely targeted by censors in the Middle Eastern countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait, as well as China. Blake Lively Gives a Glimpse of Her Lavish Bedroom She Shares With Husband Ryan Reynolds in Latest Insta Post!.

It Ends With Us is directed by Justin Baldoni, who stars opposite Lively. It follows a florist named Lily who falls in love with a neurosurgeon. After Lily runs into her childhood friend (Brandon Sklenar), Ryle gets jealous, and their relationship takes a dark turn. It is an adaptation of Colleen Hoover's popular romance novel, and cost only $25 million to produce and is expected to turn a profit.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 10, 2024 12:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).