Lebanon has officially banned Disney’s live-action Snow White remake from screening in local cinemas, and the reason has nothing to do with poisoned apples or dwarfs.
The ban is due to the casting of Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen – a decision that stirred backlash due to the actress’s outspoken support for Israel.
Lebanon’s Interior Minister, Ahmad Al-Hajjar, issued the ban following a recommendation from the country’s film censorship board. The move comes amidst ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, with repeated airstrikes in southern Lebanon escalating tensions. In that context, Gadot’s role in the film – and her history of Israeli military service – became a flashpoint for political protest.
A representative from Italia Films, the Beirut-based company that typically distributes Disney films in the region, told Variety that Gadot has essentially been blacklisted in Lebanon for years. “No movie in which she stars has ever been released in the country,” they said, confirming that Snow White is simply the latest addition to that list.
This isn’t the first time Gadot has faced bans across the Arab world. Both Wonder Woman and Wonder Woman 1984 were previously barred from release in Lebanon and several other countries due to her military background and public support for the Israeli government. Gadot served in the Israel Defense Forces and has openly backed Israel during periods of conflict, including the most recent military operations.
Neither Disney nor Gadot has issued a public response to the Lebanese ban. Meanwhile, the controversy underscores the broader cultural and political divide still shaping film distribution across the Middle East. Lebanon continues to enforce its boycott law, which bans any media involving Israeli nationals.
With war drums beating on both sides of the border, Lebanon’s decision is as much about national solidarity as it is about censorship. The bigger question is whether films should be judged by the political affiliations of their cast – or the story they’re trying to tell.
What do you think – should an actor’s politics affect a film’s right to screen? Drop your thoughts below.
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