05 June, 2017
The new DC Comics film "Wonder Woman", starring Gal Gadot, had earned a 97 percent fresh rating on movie review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes by Tuesday afternoon, after the site had tallied 66 reviews.
At least one movie theater in Beirut plans to show an advance screening on Wednesday of "Wonder Woman", and ads for the film are present in the city.
A Warner Bros. spokesperson declined to comment to EW.
Wonder Woman opens June 2.
Lebanon has officially been at war with Israel since the 1948 war, and has passed legislation that allows it to boycott products from its southern neighbor, though previous Gadot films, such as the Fast & Furious series, avoided the attention of the censors, who frequently ban foreign productions, including this year's Oscar victor for Best Picture, "Moonlight". The security official said banning a movie would ultimately come from the country's interior minister following a recommendation from the six-member committee.
Lebanon has been at war with Israel for several decades, and the country has a law in place that prohibits Lebanese citizens from buying Israeli products, and bans travel to Israel or any contact with Israeli citizens. This year, the Egyptian movie Mawlana and the Lebanese movie Beach House were both banned in Lebanon. The film was shown in Lebanese cinemas, however.
A boycott group, called Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel-Lebanon, has campaigned against showing the film in Lebanon.
Lebanon does not recognize the State of Israel and does not accept Israeli passports or passports indicating a person has entered Israel. Wonder Woman instantly becomes, dare we say, comic book movies' best everyman.
It also helps that Wonder Woman isn't anxious about placing references to the existing DC cinematic universe, save for a nod to Bruce Wayne in a scene set in the present day. She appeared in sequels of the "Fast and Furious" franchise, none of which were banned in Lebanon.
Gadot, 32, is a former Miss Israel and completed two years of mandatory service in the Israeli Army.
Deadline reports this summer's most highly anticipated blockbuster, Wonder Woman, is now eyeing a $175 million-plus opening weekend at the global box office.
Now, there are talks that the follow-up film for "Wonder Woman" may be exploring different time periods.
