'Wicked's Ban in Kuwait Speculated to Be Over Film's LGBTQ Cast

Looks like some Wicked fans in Kuwait won't get the opportunity to see the film.

It is now being reported that the film is being removed from cinema screens across that country due to the film's LGBTQIA+ cast.

Variety reports that the issue is an evolving one, but that some of the local media outlets in the country have speculated that the removal of the movie from cinemas was due to the cast being a part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

The outlet goes on to say that Kuwait has become the strictest of the Gulf states when it comes to film censorship. Previously, the country banned the blockbuster Barbie movie in order to protect "public ethics."

This is not the first time that a movie has been banned in Kuwait due to its inclusion of an LGBTQIA+ characters. The country previously banned the movie Talk to Me over the movie having a trans actor in it.

Notably, Wicked includes several cast members that are of the LGBTQIA+ community. One of the leads, Cynthia Erivo, is in relationship with fellow woman. She has been dating Lena Waithe, who is a producer, writer and actress known best for her role on Master of None and for creating the popular Showtime series The Chi, since 2020.

Additionally, the movie stars Jonathan Bailey who came out as gay in 2018. He plays the role of Fiyero in Wicked.

During one of her many interviews to promote the Wicked movie, lead actress Ariana Grande, who plays Glinda, shared that she thinks her character might be part of the LGBT community.

"Glinda might be a little in the closet," she said in an interview with Gay Times.

"You never know, give it a little time," Grande added.

Erivo seemingly confirmed the news.

"Yeah, you never know," she said in response.

Wicked has been a box office success since its release. The film's opening weekend in America saw it rake in $114 million. So far, the movie has made more than $366 million globally since its release.

The second part of the movie is set to hit theaters in November 2025.

Tags

Wicked, LGBT, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo