Yahoo News Steven Spielberg's The Post is banned in Lebanon
Steven Spielberg's latest project The Post has been banned in Lebanon, reportedly due to the director's ties to Israel.
The Post, which boasts an incredible line-up including Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks, had initially passed the country's government-run screening process, according to Deadline.
However, after increasing pressure from Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel-Lebanon and a recommendation from the country's Ministry of Economy, support for the film was withdrawn.
Related: Annabelle: Creation will have to be censored in Lebanon
Spielberg's The Post isn't the first big-name film to be banned from screening in Lebanon – Patty Jenkins' record-breaking Wonder Woman was controversially kept from cinemas, too.
The country confirmed it had taken the "necessary measures" to ban the film last year because of its Israeli lead Gal Gadot. Lebanon and Israel are technically engaged in a state of war.
The Post is no stranger to controversy itself, as it follows the true story of The Washington Post's Katharine Graham and Ben Bradlee exposing the Pentagon Papers.
Related: The Post's Tom Hanks: 'TV kicks movies' ass when it comes down to diversity'
And if a story all about government corruption sounds familiar to you, then that's the point – according to Spielberg, anyway.
Touching on the relevance of the story in the US today, Spielberg explained his motivation behind the film: "We thought it was illuminating to show how history dealt with this, and the fact the press will always survive.
"They may be pushed against a cliff and feel that nothing they say will be taken by a great portion of this country as the truth these days, because of the engineering of disinformation," he said.
"But the pendulum swings both ways, and the press will survive - and this too shall pass."
The Post hits UK cinemas on January 19.
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