Was James Cameron's The Abyss pulled from Disney+? Explaining the scene that got the movie banned in the UK

Time of India

4 hours ago

The Abyss
is a 1989 sci-fi horror film directed by James Cameron and released in 1989.
The film's premise harkens back to the Cold War era, with an American submarine
sinking in the Caribbean. A search-and-rescue team frantically searches for the
wreckage in the depth of the ocean before the Soviets find it first, but in the
process, they discover new horrors unexpected horrors in the depths.
The film
had a contentious release in the United Kingdom thanks to a scene that animal
rights groups alleged was animal abuse. The scene portrayed a real-life rat
being submerged in liquid fluorocarbon. Although the rat reportedly survived,
the British Board of Film Classification nonetheless deemed the scene a
violation of the 1937 Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act and demanded
that all UK prints of the film cut out the scene. However, the controversy has
resurfaced with the film's Disney+ release.
The Abyss Disney+ release
was uncut
The Abyss's
Disney+ release drew renewed controversy from UK animal rights groups such as
the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) after they discovered that
the version of the film released on the streaming service was uncut.
Their
protests have proven successful, as the film has since been pulled from the UK
region of Disney+, meaning that audiences once again have no official way of
viewing the controversial banned scene. All prior theatrical and home video
releases of The Abyss had complied with the BBFC order and excised the scene.
The RSPCA denies engaging
in 'cancel culture'
The RSPCA,
on their social media, accused streaming services of exploiting loopholes that
allowed them to get away with including alleged animal abuse that national
censor boards were meant to prevent.
1989 film, 'The Abyss' on Disney+, features a scene where a real rat is forcibly plunged into a tank full of liquid.Our chief vet shared concerns with the BBFC at the time, and the scene was cut under laws which prohibit showing animal cruelty on the big screen or in videos. pic.twitter.com/wjDNmsCXfx
In a
statement, an RSPCA spokesperson said that they wouldn't protest the film's
return to Disney+, provided the controversial scene was removed, stating:
"This isn't about cancel culture – we'd welcome Disney
Plus reinstating the film to their platform, just with this troubling scene
removed…This was instead about highlighting a loophole that currently exists
allowing animal abuse scenes deemed unacceptable elsewhere to be streamed
freely and legally into our homes - and protecting the public from having to
see this animal abuse content."
While it's
entirely possible for the BBFC-compliant UK cut of The Abyss to return to Disney+,
the banned scene will remain banned for the foreseeable future.