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

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

— RSPCA (England & Wales) (@RSPCA_official) May 23, 2025

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.

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