In 1979, the Saudi Arabian government shut down all of the country’s public movie theaters, and banned cinema in the country for the last 35 years. This was a result of the Islamist revival in the 1970s and the seizure of the Grand Mosque in Mecca. It is a censorship that has stood the test of time, but next month Black Panther will change all of that.
In April, Marvel’s Black Panther will break down that wall when it premieres at a brand new AMC theater in Riyadh. This is the first of many more planned theater locations to open in Saudi Arabia in the next few years. This shift in initiative comes as the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pushes to bring more entertainment to the population. According to the report, Disney and Italia film will show the film “in a luxurious cinema in a building originally intended to be a symphony concert hall.”
It is an exciting time for movie lovers, not just lovers of comic book films. It appears as though these films are bringing about a revolution in not only the way that films are made, but where and how the medium is accepted. They are transcending mere entertainment, and becoming a force for change.
[Variety]
