“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” banned in Saudi Arabia. It was about LGBTQ

Disney and Marvel are losing out to the censors once again. The fast approaching “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” with Benedict Cumberbatch in the lead role will not see its premiere in Saudi Arabia. As with Eternals, the reason the film is banned is because it includes LGBTQ characters in the film.

Marvel is again a victim of censorship

Rumors that “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” would be banned from showing in Saudi Arabia had been circulating since Friday, but only today “The Hollywood Reporter” confirmed this information. The magazine reports that the ban may also apply to Kuwait, but it is not official yet.

The film is still waiting for its world premiere, and there are no reviews yet. It is known, however, that the censors’ decision is related to the fact that America Chavez, played by Xochitl Gomez, appears in the film. In the Marvel comics, the heroine is a lesbian. In Saudi Arabia, homosexual relationships are illegal, and local authorities regularly block any LGBTQ-like relationship.

This is not the first film to be censored in Saudi Arabia. Recently, the ban also covers, inter alia, Marvel’s “Eternals” and “West Side Story” by Steven Spielberg. In both cases the reason was the same as in “Doctor Strange …”.

“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” was scheduled to debut on the Arabian Peninsula on May 5. Although pre-sale tickets are no longer available in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar, in the United Arab Emirates it is still possible, so the film is likely to hit theaters in the latter country.

What will “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” talk about?

“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” is a continuation of the story played by Benedict Cumberbatch, which we met in the 2016 production. The action takes place after the events of the “Avengers: Endgame” show. Stephen Strange will have to face Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), his former friend. The film is to be related to the plot not only with the show “Spider-Man: No Way Home”, but also with the series “Loki” and “WandaVision”.

The cast includes Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong and Rachel McAdams in addition to Cumberbatch and Ejiofore.

First image: Michael Keaton’s new Batman costume unveiled

If you’re a fan of Tim Burton’s two Batman movies, you’re probably looking forward to seeing protagonist Michael Keaton revisit the role of Knight of the Night.

It happens in the two movies The Flash and Batgirl. Now, Keaton’s new Bat costume has reportedly gotten into the hands of Twitter profile Epic Film Guys.

Although not officially confirmed, the design of the suit seems very likely: A recognizable combination of the outfit from the 1989 film added a bit of new detail – such as a black belt instead of a yellow one.

BREAKING: The first image of @MichaelKeaton as BATMAN from The Flash. pic.twitter.com/k703XOjBFK

— Epic Film Guys ® (@EpicFilmGuys) April 14, 2022

Whether this is the final design is not known, but now there is at least something to relate to.

‘The Flash’ premieres in theaters on June 22, 2023.

‘Batgirl’ hits HBO Max later this year.

Jason Momoa stars in “Minecraft” as a feature film

“Napoleon Dynamite” director Jared Hess gets to take the gaming phenomenon to the cinema screen.
New attempt to get that “Minecraft” -based feature film, which has been reported since at least 2014.

The Hollywood Reporter writes that no one less than Jason Momoa is negotiating the lead role. The “Aquaman” and “Dune” star could be the poster name the project needs to move forward. Not only that, Warner Bros. has found a new director in Jared Hess (“Napoleon Dynamite”). The plot is currently unknown.

As you may remember, Hollywood has been trying to get a film adaptation of the well-known game franchise for a long time. Among other things, there has been talk of Shawn Levy (“Night at the Museum”) in the register and Steve Carell in front of the camera. Other directors have come and gone, so it remains to be seen if the studio has finally found the right team to take “Minecraft” to the big screen.

Trailer premiere! “Thor: Love and Thunder” can be this summer’s most beautiful action adventure

Chris Hemsworth just wants some peace and quiet, and Natalie Portman takes over the superhero cloak in this summer’s Marvel movie.

Marvel fans have a lot to look forward to right now: in early May, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” will be released and already in July, it’s time for the next adventure in “Thor: Love and Thunder”. Thor thus becomes the first Avenger to get his fourth solo film – this time the hunky thunder god has buried the battle ax and is trying to find himself (it goes like this). Check out the first trailer:

In the first teaser trailer, our superhero faces a somewhat new challenge. He just wants to find some peace and quiet after saving the world and the universe so many times. The Guardians of the Galaxy gang seems to play a big role, but so far they are saving the villain (Christian Bale!).

The trailer also confirms that Natalie Portman will return as Jane – or Mighty Thor as she may prefer to be called.

Like the previous, very entertaining “Thor: Ragnarök”, this one is directed by Taika Waititi.

“Thor: Love and Thunder” will have its cinema premiere on July 6.

Indian drama “The Movie Thief” is described as a new “Cinema Paradiso”

Nine-year-old Samay has just been with his father to the cinema for the first time, and is completely enchanted by the experience. Secretly, the poor boy begins to return to the city’s worn-out cinema on his own, where he makes an agreement with the kind machinist – a film in exchange for food. 

Here begins a new friendship full of adventure and imagination, which also becomes the start of big, but also dangerous dreams. This is the premise of the Indian drama “Filmtjuven”, which is now ready for a Swedish cinema premiere this summer. 

The film is written and directed by Pan Nalin, who has previously been behind titles such as “Samsara” and “Angry Indian Goddesses”, and is partly based on his own upbringing in a small, Indian village. Through its plot, which flows with love for the film medium, the film has on several occasions been compared to the award-winning classic “Cinema Paradiso”. According to the distributor Studio S Entertainment, “Filmtjuven” will enchant the audience in the same way as the Italian drama did over 30 years ago, at the same time as it surprises and stands on its own two feet. 

The drama, whose international title is “Last Film Show”, had its world premiere already during last summer’s festival season, and has so far received consistently positive reviews. The “movie thief” has been praised by critics for both its seriousness and charm, and is described by a  

reviewer from Slashfilm  as “a timeless tribute to the film”. 

Blasphemy accusation: Irish Catholics call for ‘Benedetta’ to be banned

“Benedetta” tells the true story of a lesbian nun in the 17th century, the theatrical release of the erotic drama in Great Britain and Ireland is now calling Catholics into action.

In Germany, the film was released in early December without making any major headlines: “Benedetta” is based on true events and tells the story of the Italian nun Benedetta Carlini (1590-1661), who had a relationship with one of her fellow sisters. Director Paul Verhoeven (“Basic Instinct”) staged the story in a lurid way he is used to and did not skimp on explicit s*x scenes. The film will be released on Good Friday in Great Britain and Ireland and will bring Catholic activists to the barricades.

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“The film is a scam and nothing more than a shameless attack on the Catholic faith,” a spokesman for the Irish Society for Christian Civilization told the Belfast Telegraph. A petition has been started to prevent the film from being released. The fact that it was coming to Irish cinemas on Good Friday was a “planned insult” to Christians.

The petition, which is aimed directly at the film’s producers and distributors, goes on to criticize “Benedetta” for containing numerous “blasphemous” scenes, including a “statue of Mary used as a s*x toy.” In general, the film is just “voyeuristic” and “lesbian nun pornography”.

Verhoeven had already defended his film against criticism of the s*x scenes last year: “I really don’t understand how one can be blasphemous about something that actually happened,” said the director at a press conference in Cannes. “You can’t change the story, you can’t change things that happened and the film is based on things that happened, so I think the accusation of blasphemy in this case is just nonsense.”

Kristen Stewart: Totally Shocked By ‘Twilight’

Kristen Stewart credit:Bang Showbiz

Kristen Stewart never thought a ‘Twilight’ sequel would be made.

The 32-year-old actress rose to international fame playing Bella Swan in the vampire film franchise and is now a global star. She would never have expected this success 15 years ago, when she was still in front of the camera as a 17-year-old. She didn’t even expect to do more than one film, let alone five.

Speaking on the Jess Cagle Podcast, Kristen said: “I always want to remind people that the first ‘Twilight’ movie – without wanting to belittle or downplay it – was technically an indie film. We just didn’t know. And it was kind of like a weird, slightly marginal teen movie. I didn’t think he would hit like that. I didn’t think we would do a sequel.”

Despite the success of the ‘Twilight’ movies, Kristen still loves appearing in smaller projects. She added: “For a long time after all the ‘Twilight’ stuff, I’ve been doing these smaller Sundance-esque films on the side. This is definitely a place I like to be. I did that again and again in between and after. So it seems like a choice to find some distance. But ‘Twilight’ was the movie that just came out of nowhere, I couldn’t believe it. I think I was very lucky.”

36 years after: Val Kilmer returns in iconic role for ‘Top Gun 2’

62-year-old Val Kilmer returns in Top Gun 2: Maverick, but how much and in what capacity, is not yet known.

36 years after Top Gun, Tom Cruise once again plays the iconic pilot Maverick in the sequel, which is directed by Joseph Kosinski.

‘Top Gun 2: Maverick’ mainly has new faces on the cast, but Val Kilmer wants to make Cruise company as the handsome pilot Iceman.

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In the new film, the former rivals have long since put the battle ax behind them, and Iceman’s recommendation of Maverick leads to his new job as a director for a group of elite pilots, including Goose’s son.

The trailer offers nothing but a well-liked picture of Kilmer, but based on his own promotion of the trailer, as well as the following statement from the director of Total Film, there is something to suggest that he gets a definite role in the film:

• It was a huge, huge triumph to get Val back as Iceman.
• To have an actor of that caliber, to see the chemistry and camaraderie between him and Tom, and to have these two characters reunited in this film was a very special moment, and it is one of my favorite parts of the film, says Kosinski.

However, it is assumed that Kilmer’s involvement will be minimal due to several years of illness. In 2015, Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer, and due to several surgeries, he can now only speak by applying pressure to the trachea.

Kilmer has recently shared the trailer on Twitter, where he i.a. used the hashtag #iceman signing off, which lends itself to a definitive end to the character.

The man behind ‘Speak No Evil’ about the horror’s most brutal scene: “It should hurt physically”

Note: This article contains spoilers for ‘Speak No Evil’. So watch the movie first – and then read our article.

The Danish sensational thriller Speak No Evil has sold over 50,000 – and it has both made headlines and had a physical effect on the audience.

The film is about a Danish family who become friends with a Dutch family, whom they have met on holiday in Tuscany. When the family is invited to Holland, they happily leave, but the most cross-border weekend of their lives awaits them, which has fatal consequences.

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The man behind it, Christian Tafdrup, has been in The Warm Cinema Chair in our podcast to talk about his approach to film, symbolism and themes, and of course how to get started making Denmark’s most unpleasant films.

One of the things that many will remember from ‘Speak No Evil’ is the bloody and extremely unpleasant scene where the family’s daughter gets her tongue cut off. So that scene, of course, we asked the filmmaker more about:

• It took us a while to figure out what that meant. So Mads [Tafdrup, co-author, ed.] And I said that we should make a horror film, and it should be Denmark’s most unpleasant film.
• Okay, what the hell can be uncomfortable? And then we thought, let’s make one scene, which is really uncomfortable, which hurts physically. And it’s good that we have children with us. So we just thought, shouldn’t she just have her tongue cut off?
• It was also like a showdown with violence on film, it has become such an entertainment. So we thought that if you can just make one scene with a tiny bit of blood, but that makes you vomit out of discomfort, then so be it.

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From there, the film’s title, themes, and landmark scene began to take on a larger context:

• “Speak no evil”, which is a title it came to me late. But is such a saying from Japan I think, which is really a guide to having to behave properly. And then it has been later interpreted a lot to turn a blind eye. If you experience something that is unpleasant, or you see the danger signals, then it is better to ignore it, to stick your head in the bush, pretend like nothing.
• And it fits very well in this film, where some people know that there is something in the fence that is not pleasant, but we choose to smile anyway. Then all of a sudden it just fit with the title, the tongue and the communication team.

The choice of tongue has a greater symbolic significance:

• Of course quite specifically the fact that they can not tell things further, they must not gossip, but also that it is about communication in many ways. He [the son of the Dutch family, ed.] Can not say anything, the adults say nothing to each other. Everything has become such small talk, we can not talk to each other, cultural differences.

The actual recording of the tongue-in-cheek scene also proved to affect the film’s actors, including the then 8-year-old Liva Forsberg – who was to be exposed to the bloody scene already on her first day:

• We had done a lot to make her feel safe, and done a lot to make sure that her parents were there, and she was a very strong girl. But she actually cried the first day she sat inside that car because she did not know those Dutch actors either, and said “I do not want to be in the movie anyway”. Then we just had to like, “No it’s going a little too fast”. And then we postponed it a bit.
• But I think if you make sure to create a pretty good atmosphere on such a set, where the children know it’s a game, then it’s actually not that difficult, then it’s not a really heavy. It’s actually some latex, and when we make the picture itself, it’s an older girl who’s stand-in. So you could say there are a lot of sub-elements. And a condom around some blood, so there is a lot of cheating.
• I really thought too, how is this ever going to get uncomfortable? But then a lot can happen in clips, and a lot can happen with sound. But when we stood on the recordings, I damn well doubted if we could haul it home.

“Snabba Cash actress Evin Ahmad ready for new action series on Netflix

Evin Ahmad, who last year was featured in the Swedish Netflix venture “Snabba Cash”, is ready for another series on the streaming service. Deadline reports that the actor has landed the lead role in “Palomino”, an upcoming action adventure from the producers behind “The Crown”.

The plot of “Palomino” revolves around Erin Collantes, a British teacher who is in Spain, and the story begins with a violent robbery in a grocery store. After one of the perpetrators recognizes her, secrets risk being revealed, and Erin is forced to fight to clear her name and protect her family.

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Ahmad has previously made roles in Swedish films such as “Dream on” and “Call mom!”, As well as in the SVT series “Tsunami” and “Vår tid är nu”. When it comes to Netflix productions, she has appeared in both the Swedish miniseries “Biggest of all” and the Danish sci-fi drama “The Rain”. “Palomino” will be her first participation in a television production outside Scandinavia, as well as her first international lead role.

The actress can almost be seen in the second season of “Snabba Cash”, which premieres on Netflix sometime in 2022, where she returns to the role of Leya. The filming of “Palomino”, which will take place in Barcelona, ​​will also take place later this year.