The Freddie Mercury and Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody will have all overt LGBT scenes removed for its release in China, it has been reported.
Bohemian Rhapsody has already attracted considerable criticism for perceived “straightwashing” in its originally released form, with suggestions that it glossed over Mercury’s real-life hedonist persona.
Although a major commercial success all over the globe, Bohemian Rhapsody is likely to secure only a small-scale release in China – unlike Oscar-winners Moonlight and Call Me By Your Name, which failed to be released there at all.
However, LGBTI activist Gary Nunn argued in the Guardian that film was “inspiring” and a “job well done”.