All movies in Mexico, even in Spanish, must have subtitles

MEXICO CITY – All movies shown in Mexico must now have subtitles to assist people with hearing problems, the government ordered Tuesday.

The Interior Department said Spanish subtitles will be required for any movie, even if its dialogue was originally filmed in Spanish or has been dubbed into Spanish.

Some feared the new rules will hurt Mexico’s strong voice-over industry by making dubbing less necessary. Foreign language films shown in Mexico often have Spanish dialogue added, with subtitles used less frequently.

While subtitles may be a distraction or detract from visual effects, they are a needed measure to provide equal access for the hearing impaired, the Interior Department said.