Malaysia confirms cancellation of 'Thor: Love and Thunder' release

Malaysian theatre operator Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) has announced that the Chris Hemsworth-starrer "Thor: Love and Thunder" will not get a theatrical release in the country.

This follows on from announcements two weeks ago that the film was indefinitely postponed, reports `Variety`.

"Dear valued customers, please be informed that Disney has updated that marvel Studios` `Thor Love and Thunder` will not be releasing in Malaysia after all. We appreciate your patience and we apologise for any inconvenience caused," GSC said in its social media feeds.

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It finished with the rejoinder: "Please buy our merchandise, OK." That is the second piece of tongue in cheek criticism emanating from the country`s largest cinema chain inside a week. Shortly after the Marvel Studios presentation at Comic-Con, GSC disseminated the forward calendar of Marvel film releases but crossed out "Thor".

Directed by Taika Waititi, the film was released on July 8 in North America, where it has grossed $283 million to date. Worldwide, "Thor" has already accumulated $685 million.

The postponement move is the second lost release of a Disney-handled movie in Malaysia in the space of two months.

In June, the release of Pixar animation "Lightyear" was cancelled in Malaysia after the country`s censorship authority (LPF) asked for cuts to the film, understood to include a same-sex kiss, in order for the film to obtain release certification.

Disney declined to make the cuts and is expected to put "Lightyear" out directly on streaming service Disney+ Hotstar. Malaysia was one of nearly twenty, mostly Muslim-majority countries which objected to the homosexual tinges of "Lightyear".

Disney offered no comment on "Thor", but confirmed that that the release will not go forward.

GSC`s pain at the loss of another major Hollywood title reflects the economic damage that Malaysian cinemas have suffered over two years of on-off Covid control measures.

Cinema admissions crashed from an average of 77 million per year in the 2017-2019 period to just 3.72 million in 2021. Exhibitors also complain that the theatrical window in the country has now halved from 90 days to just 45 days.