There is no immunity from Censorship.
Here we are at the end of another quarter, and dozens of movies and series were subjected to censorship threats, forced edits, or country bans. Regardless of whether a title is popular, where it originated, or where it's being shown, none of that was a defense against the censor's scrutiny.
One doesn't have to look hard to find titles subjected to censorship in Q3. Here's a short list of the quarter's top releases and where they're edited or banned.
1. "Barbie" - Banned in Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Egypt, Qatar, Russia, Vietnam, Pakistan, and Algeria
2. "Oppenheimer" - Banned in Japan, edited in India, Indonesia, Pakistan, UAE, and Saudi Arabia
3. "Yellowstone" - Episodes heavily edited for US broadcast release
4. "Bluey" - Children's cartoon episodes banned or revised in the United States and United Kingdom
Plenty of other titles lesser known to Western audiences have run afoul of regulators and certification boards worldwide. APAC films and TV series such as "OMG 2," "Gadar 2," and "The Kerala Story" are just a few examples. With regulators' increased focus on identifying and labeling objectionable content along with rising political pressure, it is safe to say there is no reason to believe standards will relax any time soon.
Different Content, Same Complaints
If regulators are anything, they are consistent. Regardless of the country or culture, complaints about a title's subject matter are remarkably similar: sex, drugs, LGBTQ+, alcohol, violence, profanity, national sensibilities, and religion/blasphemy are hot-button issues everywhere.
"Barbie" experienced trouble in Muslim countries because regulators felt the film promoted an LGBTQ+ lifestyle by casting a trans actor as "Doctor Barbie." Southern Pacific countries bordering Mainland China banned the movie for including a cartoon map they felt represented an intrusion into their sovereignty. A nude Florence Pugh was clothed in "Oppenheimer" with a CGI black dress . Numerous scenes, including sex, drug, violence, and profanity in "Yellowstone" were edited for its broadcast release, much to the dismay of series viewers. The Australian animated series "Bluey" removed discussions of neutering and images of dog poop, unicorns, and flatulence sounds.
How to Avoid Trouble
While censorship and bans didn't impact Barbie's $1.4B+ box office , they can and do influence lesser-known titles. Not everybody "gets it," but regulators take seriously their mission to protect citizens from objectionable content. Anyone seeking to release content into their markets must consider its classification process—even the big titles. What's the best way to prepare content for international distribution?
The only platform guaranteeing compliance with film or TV regulation is Spherex AI . The technology comprises a decade of content rating and analysis knowledge and experience. By submitting a single movie or a catalog of thousands of titles, content creators, directors, advertisers, distributors, or platforms can obtain appropriate age ratings for 200+ countries and territories, eliminating brand and market risk. To ensure your title reaches the broadest audience while maintaining story integrity, contact Spherex today.
