Disney/Pixar’s ‘Lightyear’ Will Not Play In Saudi Arabia, UAE & Other Parts Of Middle East, Nor Malaysia & Indonesia

Oleksandr Usyk says that he is not fighting for money, despite the vast sums on offer for his rematch with Anthony Joshua which takes place in Saudi Arabia in August.

Walt Disney CEO Bob Chapek won praise in many corners in 2020 for ably steering the company through the devastation of Covid after taking the baton from Bob Iger early in that fateful year.

Disney’s public spat with Scarlett Johansson last summer over compensation tied to Marvel’s “Black Window,” which opened day-and-date in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access for a $30 fee. This was followed by Chapek’s uneven handling of Florida’s “Parental Rights in Education Bill.” Chapek initially aimed to avoid taking a public stance on the controversial bill, dubbed “Don’t Say Gay,” which elicited a backlash from staffers.

EXCLUSIVE: Kids TV specialist Sinking Ship Entertainment (SSE) has appointed Paris-based exec Karine Rubin as Director of Sales for Europe.

Oleksandr Usyk has emerged as odds-on favourite for his rematch with Anthony Joshua which is set to take place in Saudi Arabia on August 20. Usyk currently holds the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles after beating Joshua in their first fight at the Tottenham Hotpsur Stadium in September 2021.

It has been announced that the world title fight between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk will attract a massive $80m (£65.4m) sum paid by the middle eastern state to host the rematch.

LIV Golf Series have pledged $2 billion into the new venture which, not surprisingly, has turned a lot of golfers’ heads — even though it’s run by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the man the CIA believe ordered the assassination of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.Some big names — Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia and others — have already made the move, costing them their place on the PGA Tour even as they were part of this weekend’s US Open. Other high-profile players, including Rickie Fowler and Bubba Watson, are rumored to be joining LIV soon.New reports claim that four-time major-championship winner Brooks Koepka (whose younger brother, Chase, has already signed on for LIV) might also switch.

by the end of 2022 or early 2023, had been vigorously opposed by staffers, including the legendary Imagineers team behind theme parks, attractions, cruise ships and retail outposts. In March, that team had asked embattled CEO Bob Chapek to reverse a decision, calling the move unreasonable given what they called the state’s “hateful legislation.” The 2,000 employees were expected to join over 60,000 Disney employees already in central Florida as the company built a new campus in the planned community of Lake Nona, Florida — a location approximately 20 miles from the Disney World Resort in Orlando.In an open letter to Disney leadership in March, LGBTQ+ activists inside the company announced plans for a number of walk-outs and also demanded that the company stand down from the planned move after the state passed legislation barring schools from discussing “sexual orientation or gender identity.” The letter demanded that Disney cease “any efforts to move employees to Florida office locations… Guaranteeing no employee will be terminated when denying relocation to Florida.”The requirement to move, retire or quit decimated the ranks of Disney’s storied creatives.

UPDATED: Just about a year ago, the Walt Disney Co. announced plans to move most Southern California-based jobs not fully dedicated to Disneyland in its Parks, Experiences and Products Division to a new regional facility in central Florida.

tweeted the order Monday saying the movie won’t run due to its “violation of the country’s media content standards.”Although there was no further explanation, fans believe the same-sex kiss between two female characters, one of whom is voiced by actress Uzo Aduba in the family-friendly movie, is what got it banned. Homosexuality is illegal in Saudi Arabia, and surrounding countries often take issue with LGBTQ+ movie content or characters.A source told the Wrap that “Lightyear” did not receive release certificates for Malaysia, Indonesia, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Jordan and Lebanon.The Media Regulatory Office announced that the animated film Lightyear, which is scheduled for release on 16th June, is not licensed for public screening in all cinemas in the UAE, due to its violation of the country’s media content standards.

Lightyear is facing some backlash.

In her first public comments since she was elevated to Chairman of Disney General Entertainment, Dana Walden sent a memo to staff Monday morning. In it, she expressed her “immense appreciation to Bob Chapek for giving me this opportunity of a lifetime,” noting that “is enormously proud of what we do.” She also praised Peter Rice, “a gifted executive,” for his mentorship and friendship and highlighted the achievements of each division in the content group’s portfolio.

tweet Monday that “Lightyear” would not open as planned on Thursday because the film had a “violation of the country’s media content standards.” The tweet included an image of Buzz Lightyear from the film with a “no” symbol over it in red. And in Malaysia, the country’s largest cinema chain GSC also tweeted an image of Buzz in the film saying “To infinity” but responded with the caption “No beyond.”An individual with knowledge of the film’s release plans indicated that “Lightyear” did not receive release certificates for Malaysia, Indonesia, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Jordan and Lebanon.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentPixar’s “Lightyear” will not be playing in Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E. and Kuwait, among other West Asia territories, due to the inclusion of a same sex kiss in the “Toy Story” spinoff.The scene, involving a new lesbian space ranger character named Alisha and her partner starting a family together and greeting each other with a kiss on the lips had been originally cut from the film by Disney.But it was reinstated when Pixar animators spoke out against Disney in an open letter obtained by Variety, saying that Disney had demanded cuts, censoring “overtly gay affection” and in protest against Disney CEO Bob Chapek’s handling of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill.