‘Hustlers’ Banned From Malaysian Cinemas Due To ‘Excessive Obscene Content’

Jennifer Lopez’s latest won’t be hitting screens in Malaysia.

“Hustlers” has been banned in Malaysia due to “excessive obscene content,” according to the country’s film censorship board. BBC News reports the board ruled the movie was “not suitable for public viewing,” citing scenes featuring nude breasts, exotic dancing and drug use.

The movie, about a group of strippers who con Wall Street players out of their money, was scheduled to open in theatres in Malaysia on Thursday. Already released in North America following its world premiere at TIFF, the movie has grossed more than $47 million worldwide to date.

The Malaysian distributor of the film confirmed the news with an apology on Instagram.

“We regret to inform you that ‘Hustlers’ movie release has been canceled as it has been banned in Malaysia. We deeply apologize for the inconveniences caused to our beloved followers, fans of the movie, medias and partners,” the post reads.

View this post on Instagram

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT We regret to inform you that Hustlers movie release has been cancelled as it has been banned in Malaysia. We deeply apologize for the inconveniences caused to our beloved followers, fans of the movie, medias and partners. A special shout-out to @presenceparis @reebokmalaysia @benefitmalaysia @flyproject.co @thenictionary @acutabovegroup @restylemy @tgvpictures and other medias involved. We certainly appreciate all the love and support from our fans and movie lovers for this title; yet it’s our loss that we are unable to carry on. Our sincere apologies that we have let you down. Nevertheless, we hope to bring you more exciting movies in the near future with your continuous support. Thank you 🙏🏻

A post shared by Square Box Pictures (@squareboxpicturesmy) on Sep 19, 2019 at 8:36am PDT

“Hustlers” isn’t the first film to be censored in Malaysia in 2019.

Earlier this year, the Elton John fantasy-musical “Rocketman” was censored over sex scenes between stars Taron Egerton and Richard Madden. In addition, Disney’s live-action “Beauty And The Beast” was also censored for including a “gay moment,” which the company refused to cut for Malaysian audiences and ultimately screened intact.