A judge has ruled against an overseas film distributor who tried to block the release of the controversial Iranian film "The Lizard" in the United States.
The satirical movie featuring a thief disguised as a cleric was a smash hit in Iran until authorities pulled it from theaters May 19. It won top honors at Tehran's international film festival in February and took in about $1 million.
Director Manuchehr Mohammadi agreed to a contract to distribute the film in the United States and elsewhere. The film's Iranian distributor, Kamal Mosafaye Tabrizi, sought a temporary restraining order in Los Angeles Superior Court to block the U.S. debut.