A brief moment in the saga-closingStar Warsentry The Rise of Skywalker in which two women are seen engaging in a celebratory kiss has been removed for audiences in Singapore.
"The applicant has omitted a brief scene which under the film classification guidelines would require a higher rating," an Infocomm Media Development Authority spokesperson said of the scene removal, per The Guardian's report on Tuesday. Disney is said to have ditched the brief scene for this facet of the release in an effort to avoid the region hitting the movie with an 18-and-up viewing requirement.
As the report explains, Singapore's censorship rules include guidelines for any movie "containing LGBTQ themes," meaning Skywalker could have been restricted from viewing for anyone younger than 18.
As previously reported, the scene in question was seemingly teased as being more consequential to the overall story ahead of the J.J. Abrams-directed movie's release. However, given the brevity of the scene and the involvement of minor characters, the move ultimately received criticism from fans as being a less-than-applaudable example of LGBTQ representation in the franchise.
Despite generally mixed reviews, Skywalker is still performing at an expected Star Wars level at the box office. As of Thursday, Skywalker had amassed a worldwide total of more than $433 million. That number, of course, is sure to balloon even further as we inch closer to 2020.
