Jolie praises Marvel for not editing
Angelina Jolie is praising Marvel for refusing to cut down scenes featuring a gay superhero in “Eternals,” after the movie was banned in several Gulf countries.
The Hollywood Reporter recently broke the news that the latest superhero movie by the Marvel Cinematic Universe had been banned by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait.
According to the outlet, the ban came after censors allegedly made several edit requests to the studio — including the removal of a scene in which a character named Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) shares a kiss with his on-screen husband, Ben (Haaz Sleima) — but those requests were denied.
On Friday, Jolie was asked about the controversy when speaking with reporters in Australia.
“I’m sad for (those audiences). And I’m proud of Marvel for refusing to cut those scenes out,” said the Oscar-winning actor who plays warrior Thena in “Eternals.” “I still don’t understand how we live in a world today where there’s still (people who) would not see the family Phastos has and the beauty of that relationship and that love.”
Consensual same-sex relations between adults is a crime in 69 countries and territories around the world.
Last year, Pixar’s “Onward” was banned in Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia over a single line referencing a lesbian relationship, by a character voiced by Lena Waithe.
After facing criticism for a lack of LGBTQ representation in its movies, the studio confirmed in August 2019 that its star-studded film “Eternals” would feature the MCU’s first gay character.
“He’s married. He’s got a family. And that is just part of who he is,” studio president Kevin Feige said on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
Clooney calls out tabloid: George Clooney has issued a call for the U.K. tabloid the Daily Mail and other outlets to stop publishing pictures of celebrities’ children, calling it a matter of safety.
Clooney recently issued “an open letter to the Daily Mail and other publications” after asserting that he saw pictures of the 1-year-old son of actor Billie Lourd on the website of Daily Mail.
Lourd’s son Kingston is the grandson of the late actor Carrie Fisher and CAA managing director Bryan Lourd. He is the great-grandson of movie legend Debbie Reynolds and singer-actor Eddie Fisher.
Clooney flatly stated that his own children are threatened by intrusive photos of celebrity-hunting photographers because his wife, Amal Clooney, works as a human rights lawyer and because of his high profile as an Oscar-winning actor.
“We cannot protect our children if any publication puts their faces on their cover,” he wrote.
Clooney’s letter also states that the Lourd pictures that sparked his letter were ultimately removed from an online platform.
Nov. 8 birthdays: Singer Bonnie Raitt is 72. TV host Mary Hart is 71. Actor Alfre Woodard is 69. Singer Leif Garrett is 60. TV chef Gordon Ramsay is 55. Actor Matthew Rhys is 47. Actor Tara Reid is 46. Actor Dania Ramirez is 42. TV personality Jack Osbourne is 36. Singer SZA is 32. Singer Lauren Alaina is 27.