Movie theaters in Russia won’t ban the new live-action “Beauty and the Beast” movie from screening, but a minor character’s sexuality is cause for it to be classified by the Russian government as restricted to customers aged 16 and up, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“To be exhibited in Russia, a movie has to be issued an exhibition license, which also states age restrictions, if any,” THR explained.
“We are issuing an exhibition license to the movie without any problems,” Vyacheslav Tyelnov, an official with the Russian ministry of culture, was quoted at the website KinoPoisk.ru — a sort of Russian version of the Internet Movie Database. “The age restriction will be 16+.”
In 2013 the Russian parliament unanimously passed a law banning pro-gay “propaganda.” News of a minor character in the film being portrayed as a gay man sparked concern that the movie would be banned in the former Communist country.
By contrast, the Motion Picture Association of America has given the live-action adaptation of the Disney classic a PG rating.
“Beauty and the Beast” hits theaters in the U.S. on Friday and stars “Harry Potter” alumna Emma Watson as the bookish beauty Belle and Dan Stevens as the Beast.
• Ken Shepherd can be reached at kshepherd@washingtontimes.com.
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