There are plenty of ways that filmmakers and studios curb the content of their work to
appeal to as large an audience as possible.
Regardless, there are still some theaters that choose not to show certain films for
a variety of reasons, whether they be moral, fiscal, or logistical.
Here are a just a few examples of times theaters backed out from showing a film.
Perhaps the most popular of the recent films to be refused by a movie theater is 2017's
Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
A small theater in Iowa decided not to screen this entry in the Star Wars franchise, but
not because its owners objected to the content of the film.
Instead, it was because of an issue with Disney's terms.
As part of their distribution deal, Disney required theaters to screen The Last Jedi
in their largest auditoriums for a minimum of four weeks, and took a cut of 65% of ticket
revenue from those screenings.
That's a high price to pay for any small-town movie theater, especially in recent years,
when plenty of potential audience members have ditched the big screen for lots of smaller
screens that stream entertainment at home.
Of course, The Last Jedi still went on to grab an international box office total of
more than $1 billion, even without being shown in the Keystone of Northeast Iowa.
Not all theater cancellations are the product of inter-company conflict.
Some are a matter of public safety.
The 2014 comedy The Interview, directed and produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg,
was the subject of some headline-grabbing controversy because its plot is centered around
the assassination of Kim Jong-Un, the current real-life Supreme Leader of North Korea.
When word got out about the movie's premise, a group of hackers calling themselves the
"Guardians of Peace" threatened that tragedy would befall any theater that screened the
film, causing Rogen and actor James Franco to cancel publicity appearances.
"Haters gonna hate…and ainters gona ain’t"
"That is not an actual thing people say."
Not long after this announcement, Carmike, AMC, Regal, and Cineplex all stated that they
would not be screening the film, citing the safety of their patrons as their top priority.
With so many theaters shutting out The Interview, Sony chose to pull its cinematic release altogether,
though they were met with some criticism from then-President Barack Obama for caving in
to terrorist threats.
In the summer of 2018, a Wisconsin theater company chose not to screen the Slender Man
film because its violence hit a little too close to home.
As many moviegoers undoubtedly already knew, Slender Man is a fictional character born
out of a meme on the Something Awful forums in 2009, a cryptid for the modern world.
In 2014, two 12-year-old Wisconsin girls, allegedly in tribute to this fearsome fictional
being, attacked one of their friends, nearly killing her.
Because of the severity and premeditated nature of the crime, the girls were tried as adults
and charged with first-degree attempted homicide.
Though the victim survived, this horrifying tragedy has surely left its mark on people
from the area.
The theater company chose to withhold the screening out of respect for the victim, and
given the circumstances, it's hard to blame them.
Some film controversies are not as life-threatening as terrorist attacks, but still manage to
keep some movies out of theaters.
Such is the case of a drive-in theater in Alabama that refused to show the live action
version of Disney's Beauty and the Beast after the director revealed that the character LeFou,
Gaston's lackey, is gay.
The proprietors of the cinema implied that homosexuality was inappropriate for all-age
audiences, and that it was a sin, citing their Christian faith as first and foremost in their
decision-making process.
Ironically, the film also got complaints from some viewers because, after headlines touted
LeFou as Disney's first openly gay character, any content that might've dealt with that
was pretty much limited to the subtext that's basically in every movie.
"I'm not done with you yet."
"Me neither."
Whether or not LeFou can be considered an example of decent gay representation, it is
unfortunate that this theater chose to discriminate based on the sexuality of a fictional character
and send a clear message to their patrons about who they do and do not approve of in
their establishment.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, since this story was covered by national news outlets, the theater
has since changed management.
Religious fervor has always been a cause for controversy in art and media, and you can
see a pretty clear example of how with Monty Python's religious satire, Life of Brian.
"By what name are you calling him?”
“Ah Brian!"
"We worship you o Brian, who are lord over us all."
The British comedy classic is centered on a young Jewish man who was born on the same
day as Jesus Christ who gets mistaken for the Messiah and is eventually crucified in
a scene set to a cheerful tune about looking on the bright side of life.
It probably won't shock you to learn that upon its release in 1979, it was actually
banned in Ireland and Norway because of its blasphemous themes.
The film itself sets out to criticize the misunderstandings and pitfalls of modern organized
religion rather than ridiculing faith, but the movie still drew plenty of criticism for
its irreverent treatment of the subject.
Nether the criticism nor the ban stopped Life of Brian from racking up an outstanding box
office total in the United States and securing a legacy among fans.
A 40th anniversary reissue saw over 400 screenings across the United States and United Kingdom.
A more serious film that drew inspiration from Christianity, and an even more intense
ire from Christian movie-goers, was 1988's The Last Temptation of Christ.
Directed by the legendary Martin Scorsese this adaptation of the 1955 novel of the same
name depicts Jesus, played by Willem Dafoe, imagining himself entangled in situations
that conflict with certain Biblical depictions of Christ.
Upon its release, an organization called Mastermedia International incited a boycott, which led
to coverage on Christian radio stations, protests, and eventually three U.S. theater companies
deciding not to screen it at all.
They might've made the right decision.
In Paris, a screening of the film was interrupted when a fundamentalist Catholic group set fire
to the theater while it was playing, injuring 13 patrons.
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