8 Movies That Inspired Online Protests
6. Noah
What They Said: “Jews and Christians will have a hard time recognizing Noah in this film,” claimed National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) President Dr Jerry Johnson. He added: “Noah gets Noah wrong, gets the environment wrong, gets evolution wrong and gets some biblical details wrong.”
Ahead of the film being banned in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain, the NRB threatened a boycott unless Paramount Pictures released the picture with a disclaimer that the movie was a non-literal adaptation of the biblical tale.
What Happened: Paramount capitulated and appended the following text to its trailers and marketing materials: “The film is inspired by the story of Noah. While artistic licence has been taken, we believe that this film is true to the essence, values and integrity of a story that is a cornerstone of faith for millions of people worldwide. The biblical story of Noah can be found in the book of Genesis.”
The movie was a hit, opening at #1 with a $43 million gross before going on to take $362 worldwide, nearly three times its $125 million production budget.