Cult Classic Film Removed from Streaming Platforms for Controversial Scene

Disney+ has made a decision to remove a 1989 James Cameron movie from its platform in the UK. While James Cameron is famous for his hit films like The Terminator and Avatar, one of his earlier works, The Abyss, ran into trouble with the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC). The BBFC took issue with a scene in the movie involving the abuse of a rat, leading the director to cut the controversial scene.

Despite holding an impressive 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the film was pulled from Disney+ for UK viewers. The Abyss follows a diving team on a mission to find a lost nuclear submarine, encountering an alien aquatic species along the way.

The scene in question, which depicts a real-life rat being dunked into a vat of liquid, sparked concerns from animal welfare charities. As a result, the scene had to be removed from the film for DVD releases in the UK and could not be aired on TV.

Interestingly, the original uncut version of The Abyss was added to Disney+ due to a loophole that exempts streaming platforms from BBFC regulations. This decision raised objections from the RSPCA, the largest animal welfare charity in the UK, citing the importance of protecting viewers from content that glorifies animal cruelty.

In response to the backlash, Disney+ has removed The Abyss from its platform for UK viewers, while it remains available on Disney+ in America. It is unclear whether a version approved by the BBFC will be added to the UK platform in the future. Disney+ UK has been approached for comment on this matter.