'Barbie' Banned In Kuwait Over Ideas That 'Encourage Unacceptable Behavior'

"Barbie" is a box office smash hit and darling with critics. The film has made over $1 billion worldwide, but it seems not everyone is feeling Barbie fever. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Lebanon appears to be moving to have the film banned in the country. Meanwhile, Kuwait has already banned the film, claiming it carries "ideas that encourage unacceptable behavior and distort society’s values."

"Barbie" is still expected to release in two of the Middle East's biggest film markets in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. There was speculation that it would be banned in both countries, but it was eventually given a release date of Aug. 10. THR reports that it's unknown if any cuts were made to the film to receive its release dates, but they were said to have been requested by the censor.

While Warner Bros. Discovery managed to put together releases for Saudi Arabia and the UAE, that did not happen with Kuwait and Lebanon. THR notes that Kuwait is typically a very strict country pertaining to what films are shown in its cinemas. Kuwait's film censorship committee chairman, Lafi Al-Subaie, reportedly accused the film of "carrying ideas that encourage unacceptable behavior and distort society’s values."

Lebanon moving to ban the film appears to be a bit of a surprise since it's seen as one of the more liberal countries in the Middle East with regard to the LGBTQ community. However, Lebanon's culture minister, Mohammad Mortada, claimed that the film "promotes homosexuality" and "contradicts values of faith and morality," saying that the film diminishes the importance of the family unit.

Lebanon's governing body that oversees film censorship has now asked to revive the film and give its recommendation, and it's expected to receive a ban in the country. Reuters reports that Kuwait later followed in Lebanon's footsteps and outright banned the film, along with the recent breakout hit Australian supernatural horror movie, "Talk To Me." Another reason cited for the ban on the films was to protect "public ethics and social traditions."

This is not the first time major blockbusters have been banned in Kuwait. Other blockbusters that have been restricted from being shown in the country include such films as "Thor: Love & Thunder," "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," Pixar's "Lightyear," and Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story."

Despite the bans, "Barbie" remains a global smash hit, enjoyed by audiences all across the world, with the film grossing $478 million domestically and $1.052 billion worldwide, and those numbers continue to climb. The film was also well-liked by critics, scoring 88% on Rotten Tomatoes with a high audience score of 84%. "Barbie" has maintained its No. 1 slot across the box office for the past three weekends, and it will likely do so again later this weekend as Barbie-mania is still in full swing.

Currently, while no sequel has been announced, that will likely change once the strike issues between the AMPTP, representing the studios, and the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, representing the writers and actors, are resolved. "Barbie" stars Margot Robbie as the titular heroine with Ryan Gosling as Ken. It's directed by Greta Gerwig and is in theaters now.