50 shades of nay

Kenya, Malaysia, Indonesia among others have banned the film due to sexually explicit content

LOS ANGELES: The steamy novel “Fifty Shades of Grey is a global phenomenon, but fans in China and other countries will not be able to see the movie version in theatres even though the vulgar scenes have has been toned down for the big screen.

The film adaptation opened this week in 57 international markets, including France, where it was declared suitable for anyone 12 or older.

The movie tells the story of a relationship between a wealthy businessman and a college student and includes scenes that depict whipping and bondage.



The distributor, Comcast Corp unit Universal Pictures, is not pursuing a theatrical release in China — the world’s second-largest film market — according to a source with knowledge of the studio’s plans who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Sexually explicit films generally do not make it past Chinese government censors.

Three countries that often object to sexual content — Malaysia, Indonesia and Kenya — have banned “Fifty Shades” from theatres.

In Malaysia, the head of the film censorship board called it “more pornography than a movie,” according to Hollywood trade publication Variety. The distributor in Indonesia said the film did not meet the country’s censorship standards.

Kenyan authorities gave no reason for their ban but have a history of censoring sexually explicit content. They prohibited the 2013 blockbuster The Wolf of Wall Street, a film that contains graphic depictions of sex and drugs.

At the film’s London premiere, Fifty Shades author EL James said, “Oh, the book was banned in a few countries.”

“Its great publicity, and you know the DVD will come out and hopefully they’ll get to see it then.”

It is unclear whether Fifty Shades will be shown in India or throughout the Middle East. Only Lebanon is scheduled to show it.

Most countries are welcoming the movie, and box-office analysts project strong international ticket sales. Markets where the film is playing include Britain, Germany, Hong Kong, Australia, Russia, Singapore and Japan.

The film took in $28.6 million in 34 markets where it played on Wednesday and Thursday and set several records. In Argentina, the movie ranked as the largest opening day ever for any film in that market.

Fifty Shades collected $8.6 million Thursday night in the United States and Canada, which together form the world’s biggest movie market.

A Universal spokesperson declined to comment on whether the film was edited for some overseas markets, where studios get an increasingly larger share of ticket sales.

Fifty Shades of Grey is the first volume in a trilogy by James. The three books have sold more than 100 million copies and have been translated into 52 languages. 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 16^th,  2015.

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