‘Wicked’ faces ban, fresh lawsuit amid box office success

The “Wicked” movie continues to make headlines after its November release. However, the attention is not for the reasons fans expected.

Straight Arrow News recently reported that toy company Mattel is facing a class action lawsuit, following a packaging error on its “Wicked” dolls. The dolls’ boxes included a URL that led consumers to an adult film website instead of the movie’s official site.

Lawsuit against Mattel over URL error

Court documents reveal that a South Carolina mother has filed the lawsuit after purchasing a “Wicked” doll for her daughter. The child visited the explicit site upon scanning the URL. Although Mattel apologized for the mistake, the plaintiff claims she was not offered a refund.

The lawsuit also highlights that the daughter, a minor, experienced emotional distress after seeing the inappropriate content.

In response to the error, Mattel advised customers in a November statement to discard the packaging or obscure the link. They also directed customers to Mattel’s customer service for further assistance.

Reports of Kuwait banning “Wicked” over LGBTQ+ content

While “Wicked” proved to be a box office hit in the U.S., debuting with over $112 million, it is not being embraced everywhere. Variety originally reported Kuwait had banned the movie from its theaters. Local outlets like Arab Times Kuwait speculated it could have been due to the film’s LGBTQ+ cast, an issue that remains controversial in the country.

However, as of Friday, Dec. 6, Variety says the film is playing in theaters despite earlier reports.

Kuwait’s LGBTQ+ rights are extremely limited, and the country is one of 63 worldwide that criminalizes homosexuality, according to the Human Dignity Trust, an international organization that works to challenge anti-LGBTQ+ laws globally.

Previous bans in Kuwait and Lebanon

Last year, both Kuwait and Lebanon banned “Barbie” the movie despite its billion-dollar global success. Officials in both countries cited concerns that the film’s content contradicted their national values, as the New York Times reported.