Twitter feeds saw an outburst of memes carrying satirical movie title suggestions in reaction to Saudi Arabia’s recent decision to lift a three-decade ban on cinemas in light of the Kingdom’s recent liberalizing efforts.
“Prison Break,” posted one tweep using a photo of the famous Ritz Carlton hotel in Riyadh where the kingdom’s royals are now being held on charges of financial corruption. Others poked fun at the country’s strictly conservative culture, adding an Islamic flavor to famous movie titles. Eat, Pray Five Times, Love; I Know What You Did Last Ramadan; and The Fasting and the Furious were among the top tweets.
The ban lifted on Dec. 11 was enforced in the early 80’s in response to pressure from hardline Islamists who wanted to establish a strictly conservative society that frowns upon arts and entertainment.
Here are the top tweets we found using the hashtags #SaudiMovieTitles and اقترح_اسم_فلم_سعودي# (suggest a Saudi movie title).
English Hashtag #SaudiMovieTitles
The kidnapped #SaudiMovieTitles pic.twitter.com/h6JSCuHr5Z
— Ahmad Buhelaiqa🇶🇦 (@Buhelaiqa) December 11, 2017
The Princess Bride#SaudiMovieTitles pic.twitter.com/yFqo7NcnXx
— Ali. (@A_Fallahian) December 14, 2017
Gone with the camels 😍🐪
#SaudiMovieTitles
Photo by @AL_SABT pic.twitter.com/2KEZKEPUMF— أماني العجلان🇸🇦 (@AmaniAAJ) December 11, 2017
I Know What You Ate Last Ramadan#SaudiMovieTitles
— AwkwardMuslim.com (@AwkwardMuslim) December 11, 2017
Hairy Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone #SaudiMovieTitles pic.twitter.com/hpz9NFWJQI
— Nader (@BonsaiSky) December 11, 2017
#SaudiMovieTitles
The good, the bad and the haram— طيفور (@Tyfour91) December 14, 2017
#SaudiMovieTitles is trending on Twitter. Some of the best so far:
Eat. Pray Five Times. Love.
Spider Imam
It’s Always Sunni In Philadelphia
Scarf-face
The Fasting and the Furious😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/lFscA7GE8H
— Yousef Tuqan Tuqan (@yousef) December 12, 2017
500 days of Ramadan #SaudiMovieTitles
— Jana (@jeem_jana) December 11, 2017
Its Always Sunni in Philadelphia#SaudiMovieTitles
— AwkwardMuslim.com (@AwkwardMuslim) December 11, 2017
Eat, Pray Five Times, Love#SaudiMovieTitles
— Will (@iFollowMirrors) December 11, 2017
The beauty and the jinn #SaudiMovieTitles
— Abba Saleh (@abba_saleh) December 11, 2017
The Fasting, and the Furious#SaudiMovieTitles
— Ibrahim Jinad Ahmed (@GenieOfAwesome) December 11, 2017
Snow White and the Seven Mahrams #SaudiMovieTitles
— Noor (@Noorsnook) December 11, 2017
Arabic Hashtag #اقترح_اسم_فلم_سعودي
#اقترح_اسم_فلم_سعودي
Fast and furious. pic.twitter.com/MvCLO3OOHK— سبنس. (@aboodii736) December 11, 2017
#اقترح_اسم_فلم_سعودي
"السريع والغاضب" The Fast and Furious
بطولة صاحب السمو الملكي الأمير طقعان بن آل سعود pic.twitter.com/Elcq7Zwn7w— Ziad (@crixus_ar) December 12, 2017
#اقترح_اسم_فلم_سعودي
Prison break pic.twitter.com/NzjMhEleu9— دحّ (@7i_Dz) December 11, 2017
#اقترح_اسم_فلم_سِعودي
Titanic 2 pic.twitter.com/MVlhp8g3m3— Lulu (@luluaaa11_lulu) December 12, 2017
#اقترح_اسم_فلم_سعودي
FAST AND FURIOUS
……. pic.twitter.com/KaOMYvBqQJ— ريڤــال 🍭 (@rapunzellla) December 11, 2017
Wolf of Olaya Street pic.twitter.com/2f7bFCI8Xk
— Rayan (@Rai0ny) December 11, 2017
#اقترح_اسم_فلم_سعودي
Black swan pic.twitter.com/TnEty0EQfC— توتي افلام 🇸🇦 (@TOTYMovies) December 11, 2017
Dumb and dumber #اقترح_اسم_فلم_سعودي pic.twitter.com/72VYAaHglL
— فيصل بن سعد (@Faisal_su) December 11, 2017
#اقترح_اسم_فلم_سعودي
اسم الفلم : اليست الصين تأتي ،
نوعه : خيال علمي
كاتب الفلم 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/HmvFxBZuLm— نهاوند (@nahawnd989) December 11, 2017
الفلم الهندي مغامرات الحمدين 😃😂
.
#اقترح_اسم_فلم_سعودي pic.twitter.com/XyWiSqSk7G— ALFAISAL 👑 (@alfaisal_ks) December 11, 2017
