5 Blockbuster Movies That Got Banned Around The World (And The Wild Real Reasons Why)

"The Interview" Got Banned In North Korea — Then Sony Basically Got Hacked Into Submission

Seth Rogen and James Franco's comedy about assassinating Kim Jong Un didn't just get banned in North Korea — it triggered a massive Sony hack, terrorist threats against U.S. theaters, and a pulled wide release. The film was ultimately dumped online and in limited theaters on Christmas Day 2014 after major chains refused to screen it.

"Noah" Was Banned Across The Middle East And Indonesia For Depicting A Prophet

Darren Aronofsky's biblical epic was blocked before it even opened in Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE, and eventually Indonesia and Malaysia, all citing Islamic law's prohibition on depicting prophets. Egypt's Al-Azhar University, the top Sunni religious authority, issued a formal statement condemning the film as a violation of Islamic law.

"The Wolf Of Wall Street" Was Too Raunchy For Malaysia And Nepal

Martin Scorsese's three-hour ode to excess — with over 500 F-words and enough sex and drugs to make the MPAA balk — was banned outright in Malaysia and Nepal. India cut multiple scenes including the infamous cocaine-and-straw moment, and the UAE trimmed a staggering 45 minutes from the film.

"Fifty Shades Of Grey" Was Banned In At Least Seven Countries Over Its Explicit Content

The BDSM romance faced outright bans in Malaysia, Indonesia, Nigeria, Kenya, the UAE, Papua New Guinea, and Cambodia due to its graphic sexual content. Malaysia's censorship board chairman even called it "more pornography than a movie," specifically citing its bondage scenes.

"Barbie" Got Banned In Vietnam Over A Crayon-Drawn Map

Vietnam pulled Barbie's release entirely because a scene showed a child-like map featuring China's disputed "nine-dash line" claim over the South China Sea. Warner Bros. defended the map as just a whimsical crayon drawing, but Vietnam's government revoked the film's license anyway, following similar bans on Abominable and Uncharted for the same reason.