Walt Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" missed its original opening date in Malaysia due to the company's refusal to accept cuts by state censors involving a gay character. But the movie opened on time and in a big way in China, in complete, unedited form.
The film reportedly had 100,000 screenings on opening night, adding up to 43% of all the country's showings on March 17. Not only was the movie released uncut in a country where many Hollywood films draw censors' attentions, it even received an explicit nod from the government. The People's Daily, the Communist Party's flagship newspaper, tweeted: "Controversial gay moment kept in Disney's #BeautyAndTheBeast... requires no guidance for minor audience."