Culture

Cinema banning Beauty and the Beast accidentally scheduled a drag queen film

Mar 09 2017
Written by Benjamin Butterworth

A US cinema refusing to screen Beauty and the Beast because of a gay character didn’t realise they’d scheduled a film about drag queens.

The Henagar Drive-In in rural Alabama scheduled a film called Fierce in their upcoming films to air.

Owner of the cinema Carol Laney said she thought it was a Game of Thrones style film about dragons.

But it’s actually a documentary about the International Drag Festival in Texas.

The tagline for the film reads: “when life drags you down, drag it up”.

Mrs Laney says it was all very confusing for her, because the movie poster shows a woman surrounded by dragons.

And while there might be plenty of slaying in the film, it’s definitely not the dragon kind.

Cinema banning Beauty and the Beast accidentally scheduled a drag queen film

Her cinema criticised Disney for deciding to “force their views on us” by including what director Bill Condon called an “exclusively gay moment” in the film.

Ever since she realised it was actually a film about drag queens, the film has been pulled from their schedule.

Apparently the film is not in “her comfort zone.”

Josh Gad, whose character Le Fou struggles with his sexuality throughout the film, said it was a shame the twist had been revealed, adding: “I hope that it’s a surprise to audiences to some extent.”

The Alabaman company made the announcement on its Facebook page, informing followers that the new ownership had decided “with great sorrow” to not show the film.

“We all make choices and I am making mine,” continued the post on the page belonging to the drive-in, which is owned by Alabama native Lanita Price.

“For those that do not know, Beauty and the Beast is ‘premiering’ their first homosexual character.

“The producer also says at the end of the movie ‘there will be a surprise for same-sex couples’.”

Apparently the drive-in’s owners had not previously noticed the clear sexual overtones between Gaston and Le Fou.

The message continues: “If we can not take our 11-year-old granddaughter and 8-year-old grandson to see a movie we have no business watching it.”

“If I can’t sit through a movie with God or Jesus sitting by me then we have no business showing it.

“I know there will be some that do not agree with this decision. That’s fine.”

The decision was received positively by most of the page’s followers.