Thor: Love and Thunder will not be screened in Malaysia, say cinema operators
Screengrab of the Thor: Love and Thunder movie poster. (Image: Facebook/marvelstudios)
KUALA LUMPUR: Marvel Studios’ latest offering of Thor: Love and Thunder will not be screened in Malaysia after weeks of uncertainty over whether it would be released in the country.
Malaysia’s largest cinema chain, Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) wrote on social media on Thursday (Jul 28) to confirm that the movie will not be screened in the country.
In a short announcement, GSC said: "Thor: Love and Takde (Malay for ‘no more’). Officially".
“Please be informed that Disney has updated that Marvel Studios’ Thor: Love and Thunder will not be released in Malaysia after all,” according to the social media post.
“We appreciate your patience and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
TGV cinemas also put up a social media post indicating that the movie will not be screened.
The confirmation came after it was reported around two weeks ago that the movie’s screening in Malaysia would be postponed.
The movie was released in most parts of the world from Jul 6. The release in Malaysia was originally scheduled on Jul 7.
However, film distributor The Walt Disney Company (M) Sdn Bhd said on Jul 1 that the release had been postponed to Jul 21, reported the New Straits Times.
No reason was given for the postponement.
Days later, it was announced that the release was “postponed indefinitely”, forcing cinema operators which had sold tickets in advance for the movie to issue refunds.
The movie features a scene where Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth, has his buttocks exposed. It also alludes to same-sex relationships between some characters.
CNA has reached out to Malaysia’s Ministry of Home Affairs and Disney for comments on why the movie was pulled from release.
This is the second time in a month that Disney decided to give the Malaysian market a miss for its new releases.
In June, it scrapped the release of animated feature Lightyear.
According to a report by the New Straits Times, Malaysia’s Film Censorship Board (LPF) said the movie distributor had refused to comply with certain conditions to allow the movie to be screened in the country.
Thor: Love and Thunder, is the fourth installment in the Thor franchise, featuring famous movie stars such as Natalie Portman and Christian Bale.
It was reported that the movie’s US$302 million takings during the opening weekend, made it the second best box office in 2022, behind another Marvel movie, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
