‘Barbie’ Screening Cancelled in Paris After Threats From Religious Opponents Over “Promoting Homosexuality”
An outdoor screening of Greta Gerwig’s hit movie Barbie was cancelled in the Paris suburb of Noisy-le-Sec after a small group of people threatened the event, claiming the film “advocates homosexuality,” according to local outlet Le Parisien.
The free screening was set to take place last Friday, 8 August. The movie stars Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken. While the film features LGBTQ+ actors like Hari Nef and Kate McKinnon, it does not have major LGBTQ+ storylines. The story follows Barbie as she leaves her world and enters the real world while trying to understand her purpose in life.
Mayor Olivier Sarrabeyrouse announced the cancellation on Monday, 11 August. He said that “an extreme minority of thugs, who, no doubt, had not seen the film, transformed a simple free open-air cinema screening open to all into a violent opposition movement.”
The mayor explained that about 10 to 15 people “surrounded the offices” and threatened to “take everything down and put an end to your session” because of their religious beliefs and their perception of the movie.
Sarrabeyrouse added, “They said that it advocates homosexuality and that it is an attack on the integrity of women. Barbie is a film for all audiences, which has never been banned in France.”
He pointed out that the movie had been banned in some other countries, including Kuwait, Vietnam, and Algeria, but never in France. He also said, “I deplore the fact that a small group from the neighbourhood mobilised its energy under pressure from an individual to prevent the screening of this film.” The town hall is planning to “reschedule this film” in the near future.
The cancellation sparked criticism from political figures. MP Valérie Boyer said the situation showed “Islamic religious fundamentalists exercising strong and effective social control” and tweeted, “Algeria, Lebanon, Kuwait, and today Noisy-le-Sec in [France] censor #Barbie… the [mayor] submits to pressures from an ‘aggressive group’!” Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau added that “the slightest retreat in the face of these community demands is unacceptable.”
l’Algérie, le Liban, le Koweït et auj Noisy-le-Sec en 🇫🇷 !censurent #Barbie … le maire #PCF se soumet aux pressions d'un "groupe agressif" !
— Valérie Boyer🎗️ (@valerieboyer13) August 13, 2025
Traduction : des intégristes religieux islamistes excercent un contrôle social fort et efficace !#tragique #soumission ! https://t.co/zuRoHEmCvA
During a press conference on Thursday, 14 August, Sarrabeyrouse called the reactions “totally disproportionate” and described the opponents’ views as “totally fallacious.” He also condemned the racist and Islamophobic messages that appeared online, saying, “The words of today’s Minister of the Interior will not extinguish this flame of racist hatred, unleashed without any limits, of which I am the target as much as my population.”
AFP reported that an official investigation was opened for threats and intimidation against a public officer. Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez said he would take legal action against “community withdrawal and separatism,” calling it “contrary to the foundations of our Republic” and likely criminal.
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