Disney+ Adds ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Content Warning After Texas School Shooting
Disney+ added a warning to the page of “Obi-Wan Kenobi” that some viewers may find “certain scenes” in the Star Wars series “upsetting.”
That appeared to be in response to the mass shooting earlier this week at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 children dead.
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A message on some Disney+ accounts on the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” landing page on Friday read, “Although this fictional series is a continuation of the story from Star Wars movies filmed many years ago, some scenes may be upsetting to viewers in light of the recent tragic events. Warning: Contains violence involving children.”
Later in the day, that message appeared to have been shortened, with the update on Disney+ now reading: “There are certain scenes in this fictional series that some viewers may find upsetting.”
The details section for “Obi-Wan” also includes a disclaimer that reads, “Some flashing light sequences or patterns may affect photosensitive viewers.”
Separately, Netflix added a content warning to “Stranger Things 4,” the first part of which bowed early Friday, explicitly referencing the Texas shooting. That message, which appears for U.S. viewers as an on-screen card before episode 1, reads: “We filmed this season of ‘Stranger Things’ a year ago. But given the recent tragic shooting at a school in Texas, viewers may find the opening scene of episode 1 distressing. We are deeply saddened by this unspeakable violence, and our hearts go out to every family mourning a loved one.”
In contrast to the “Stranger Things 4” warning, the “Obi-Wan” disclaimer is not prominent — requiring users to navigate to the “Details” menu of the show to see it.
The first two episodes of “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” starring Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen, premiered on Disney+ at 9 p.m. Pacific on Thursday. Originally, they were set to become available at midnight Pacific.
The opening scene of the first episode of “Obi-Wan Kenobi” recaps the Empire’s Chancellor Palpatine issuing Order 66 to exterminate all Jedi. The scene depicts clone troopers storming into a Jedi Temple and shooting at five younglings and their teacher; the teacher fends off the attack but is killed protecting the children.
“Obi-Wan Kenobi” is set about a decade after the events of 2005’s “Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith.” In the series, McGregor reprises his turn as Obi-Wan from the Star Wars prequel trilogy, while Christensen reprises his performance as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. The show picks up with the Jedi Master in exile on Tatooine. After Order 66 decimated the Jedi, Obi-Wan is a hunted man, especially by an Inquisitor named Reva Sevander (Moses Ingram).
The cast also includes Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse, who return as Luke Skywalker’s uncle Owen and aunt Beru Lars, along with Rupert Friend, Indira Varma, Sung Kang, Kumail Nanjiani, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Simone Kessell, Benny Safdie and Maya Erskine.
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