Barbie movie to screen in UAE theaters on August 10, bookings open

The UAE will screen the long-delayed Barbie movie in theaters on August 10, two weeks ahead of expected release.

Local theaters including VOX Cinemas, Reel Cinemas and Roxy Cinemas opened pre-orders ahead of the Thursday release.

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The UAE Media Council cleared the movie for viewing on August 3 after weeks of speculation over a ban owing to the late release date.

“The UAE Media Council has granted the Barbie movie the approval to be screened in the UAE’s licensed cinemas after completing the necessary procedures in line with the standards of media content and the UAE age classification,” the authority said.

Online booking at the local theaters specified the movie is for viewers over 15 years of age.

The movie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling was initially scheduled for release on July 20, in line with global screening dates. However, in July, theaters in the UAE changed the screening date to August 31 sparking rumors of the ban. No reason was given for the delay.

Director Greta Gerwig’s take on “Barbie” — one of the year’s most anticipated movie alongside Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, and the highest-grossing opening weekend for a film directed by a woman — has made more than $351 million in the US and Canada since opening on July 21, and nearly $775 million globally, media analytics firm Comscore reported earlier.

The UAE, like other GCC countries, restricts screening of movies if it does not adhere to strict cultural and religious norms.

The Gulf state did not release the highly anticipated “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” in June, and in 2022, it banned Walt Disney-Pixar’s animated feature film “Lightyear” from screening in cinemas because it featured characters in a same-sex relationship.

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