14 Mar – After it was announced that the release date for the upcoming live-action "Beauty and the Beast" has been postponed in Malaysia, social media erupted with fans questioning whether the movie will really make it to the big screen here or will it just end up being banned. Latest development from Disney Malaysia reveals that fans need not worry about the possibility of the movie being banned as the Malaysian Censorship Board (LPF) has given the green light for it to be screened in local cinemas. The movie still suffers from a minor cut but at least this allows it to be approved for screening in cinemas with a P13 parental guidance classification. The minor cut involves what is considered a "gay moment" in the movie. The gay scene involves the character LeFou (Josh Gad). Touted as "Disney's first gay character", LeFou is said to be attracted to Gaston (Luke Evans). However, the scene that has been left on LPF's cutting room floor might be the one where LeFou is seen dancing with a man dressed in feminine clothing, signifying his preference for the same gender.
Previously slated for release in Malaysia on 16 March 2017, now the movie is awaiting a new release date. When contacted, Disney stated that as the movie has been approved for screening by LPF, the new release date is set to be decided by the distributor and exhibitors. If the movie doesn't make its 16th March release, another possible date could be this 30th of March, giving way to the "Power Rangers" movie that is expected to dominate most of the male audiences this 23rd March. Several exhibitors, including TGV Cinemas and GSC Cinemas, have started issuing refunds for those who pre-booked the movie tickets, after the announcement of the postponement broke yesterday. Starring Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as Beast, the live-action adaptation of Disney 1991 animated movie of the same name is one of the most highly-anticipated movies for this year. However, since it was revealed by director Bill Condon that it will feature a gay character, there has been some backlash including Russia threatening to censor or ban the movie, a drive-in cinema in Alabama, U.S.A. refusing to show the movie, and Malaysia's censoring of the movie's gay scene.