Multiple Anti-Israel Nations Ban Disney Movie Starring Gal Gadot

Death on the Nile, the second of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot murder mysteries to be adapted into a film with star and director Kenneth Branagh has reportedly been banned in at least two nations due to the chosen cast.

According to Forbes, Lebanon and Kuwait have both banned Death on the Nile due to its association with Israeli starlet Gal Gadot. This will be the second Gal Gadot movie banned in Lebanon after groups protested the release of Warner Bros.’ Wonder Woman. 

Credit: 20th Century Studios

Forbes explains,

Gadot served a mandatory two years in the IDF, and has become a target of criticism in the Arab world over her public support for the IDF and slamming of the Palestinian militant group Hamas during the Gaza war in 2014… Lebanon and Israel have technically been in a state of war since 2006, though they’ve maintained a ceasefire for nearly 16 years. Lebanon banned another one of Gadot’s films, 2017’s Wonder Woman, just two hours before it was set to begin screening in the country’s theaters after a group called “Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel – Lebanon,” demanded the Lebanese government remove the film in protest of its star.

Forbes also confirms that the mystery film’s ban in Kuwait was also a result of social media protests against Gadot.

Credit: 20th Century Studios/Disney

Related: Gal Gadot Is Playing The Evil Queen In Disney’s Live-Action Snow White

Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile is produced by Disney-owned 20th Century Studios. At this point, Disney has not released a statement on this matter, and it is unclear if other nations who hold anti-Israel sentiments will follow Lebanon and Kuwait’s decision.

Death on the Nile arrived in theaters on February 11, 2022.

More on Death on the Nile

According to 20th Century Studios,

Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot’s Egyptian vacation aboard a glamorous river steamer turns into a terrifying search for a murderer when a picture-perfect couple’s idyllic honeymoon is tragically cut short. Set against an epic landscape of sweeping desert vistas and the majestic Giza pyramids, this dramatic tale of love gone wrong features a cosmopolitan group of impeccably dressed travelers and enough wicked twists and turns to leave audiences guessing until the final, shocking denouement.