Beauty And The Beast, the romantic fantasy film starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens in lead roles, has received a new release date in Malaysia. The movie will be screened with the controversial gay moment and a PG13 rating.
Also Read: Beauty And The Beast: Ban on Emma Watson film over gay scene triggers social media outrage
The musical fiction film, which was originally scheduled to release in the country on March 16, was kept on hold due to a homosexual content. Although it was initially speculated that the dark fantasy thriller was banned in the country, Malaysian Censorship Board (LPF) revealed that the movie will be screened with a minor edit.
So, Disney decided to pull back the box office hit from Malaysia. The LGBT issue raised by LPF also triggered a social media outrage. Several netizens raised their voice against the decision and criticised the board members for keeping a good film on hold because of a small scene.
The Malaysian fans of Beauty And The Beast will finally get their happy ending as Disney revealed through a statement that the film will be released in the country with the controversial gay moment.
"We are pleased to announce that Disney's Beauty and the Beast has now been approved to be released in Malaysia with no cuts, with a PG13 rating," read the statement released by the Malaysia division of Walt Disney Company.
Even, Golden Screen Cinemas, the largest cinema chain in Malaysia, tweeted out the new release date for the Emma Watson-starrer film. "BEAUTY AND THE BEAST CONFIRMED FOR 30 MARCH WITHOUT CUTS. RT this and get excited! #BeOurGuest," read the tweet.
Meanwhile, a Malaysian government official revealed that the LPF's decision to screen the romantic fantasy film came out only after a thorough review by the committee, which confirmed that the scenes were not offensive.