Malaysian theater operator Golden Screen Cinemas has announced that “Thor: Love and Thunder” will not have a release in the country. This follows announcements two weeks ago that the film had been postponed indefinitely.
“Dear customers, please note that Disney has updated that Marvel Studios’ Thor Love and Thunder will not be released in Malaysia after all. We appreciate your patience and apologize for any inconvenience caused,” GSC said on its social media .
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He ended with the retort, “Please buy our merchandise, okay.” This is the second criticism emanating from the country’s largest cinema chain in a week. Shortly after Marvel Studios’ presentation at Comic-Con, GSC released the Marvel movie release schedule but crossed out “Thor.”
Directed by Taika Waititi, the film opened on July 8 in North America, where it has grossed $283 million to date. Worldwide, “Thor” has already amassed $685 million.
The postponement move is the second missed release of a Disney-run film in Malaysia in the space of two months. In June, the premiere of Pixar’s animation “Lightyear” was canceled in Malaysia after the country’s censorship authority (LPF) requested cuts to the film, which it understood included a kiss between people in the same sex, in order for the film to obtain the release certification. Disney declined to make the cuts, and “Lightyear” is expected to appear directly on the Disney+ Hotstar streaming service. Malaysia was one of nearly twenty mostly Muslim-majority countries that objected to “Lightyear’s” homosexual undertones.
Disney offered no comment on “Thor” but confirmed that the release will not move forward. Variety understands that the LPF again asked for cuts, which the studio chose not to do.
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GSC’s pain at the loss of another major Hollywood title reflects the economic damage Malaysian cinemas have suffered during two years of COVID-19 containment measures. Cinema admissions fell from an average of 77 million annually in 2017-2019 to just 3.72 million in 2021. Exhibitors also complain that the theater window in the country has shrunk to half, going from 90 days to just 45 days.
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