‘Death On The Nile’ Banned In Two Middle East Countries Over Gal Gadot’s Israeli Military Service

Actress Gal Gadot’s newest movie won’t be available in at least two Middle Eastern countries, the New York Post reported. “Death on the Nile” is being banned in Lebanon and Kuwait due to Gadot’s past service in the Israeli Armed Forces. 

The 36-year-old “Wonder Woman” star served her mandatory two years of service before becoming a Hollywood actress. This is a requirement for all Israeli youth, the publication reported.

But thanks to mounting tensions in the Middle East, Gadot’s ties to the Israel Defense Forces is enough to get her movie banned in those countries simply because she’s in it. Lebanon also banned her popular “Wonder Woman” film. The ban comes from a law that boycotts Israeli products in the nation and keeps Lebanese citizens from traveling to Israel or associating with Israeli people, even on screen.

Gadot also inspired criticism last year when she shared support for her home country on Twitter amid rocket attacks from the West Bank of the region. 

“This is a vicious cycle that has been going on for far too long,” the actress tweeted at the time in May 2021.

“Israel deserves to live as a free and safe nation, Our neighbors deserve the same. I pray for the victims and their families. I pray for this unimaginable hostility to end, I pray for our leaders to find the solution so we can live side by side in peace.”

Gadot disabled comments on the tweet after critics accused her of supporting “ethnic cleansing” and “mass genocide.” But there were plenty of people who agreed with her, including Senator Ted Crux (R-TX) who simply said, “God bless [Gal Gadot].”

According to Variety, “Death on the Nile” was number one at the box office over the weekend, earning $12.8 million in its opening days and besting the other new release, Jennifer Lopez’s new rom-com “Marry Me.”

The Disney and 20th Century Studios murder mystery features Gadot as part of an ensemble cast including Annette Bening, Russell Brand, Ali Fazal, Dawn French, Armie Hammer, Rose Leslie, Emma Mackey, Sophie Okonedo, Jennifer Saunders, and Letitia Wright. The movie is based on the Agatha Christie novel by the same name from 1937 and serves as a sequel to “Murder on the Orient Express” (2017). 

“Death on the Nile” cost a whopping $90 million to produce, Variety reported, then racked up additional fees by getting delayed due to the pandemic. It will need to keep performing at the box office just to break even. Now there are two countries where the show will never see the light of day, all thanks to having Gadot in the cast.

The film earned mixed reviews from critics, who noted it as inferior to the previous adaptations but had positive things to say about the style, direction, cinematography, and acting. “Death on the Nile” currently has a 66% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and an 88% audience rating. 

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