Part of the reasoning according to their report is that China bans movies involving ghosts, promoting cults or superstition.
Advertisement
Film industry observers noted that the removal of the word “ghost” from the title was a an attempt by Sony to give an early concession to Chinese cultural taboos in the hope of securing release. Last year, this proved to be a problem for Guillermo Del Toro’s Crimson Peak, a film looking for an overseas box office boost in the face of lukewarm domestic earnings.
The reboot of the Ghostbusters franchise, directed by Paul Feig, stars Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones.
Sony, the studio behind the all-female reboot, has learned that the movie has been denied a release in China, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The original Bill Murray-starring 1984 classic, which never screened theatrically in China, was translated as “捉鬼敢死队”, five characters literally meaning “Ghost Catcher Dare Die Team”.
Changing the title might not be enough to sway China’s decision, though. China allows for 34 Hollywood films to be released in the country each year, and serves as a huge secondary market for major releases.
“It’s been confirmed that Ghostbusters won’t be coming to China, because they think it’s not really that attractive to Chinese audiences”, said one of THR’s sources.
Another ghostly movie is being prevented from release in China, but Chinese authorities say it’s not for the reason you think. While the film hasn’t been screened in China yet, Variety believes that it will likely be rejected due to censorship.
Either way the film is already facing an uphill struggle with public perception, even as critical reviews are continuing to be fairly positive. However, given that the film hasn’t officially been approved by Chinese regulators, and the opaque nature of the country’s regulations, there’s no way to tell for sure exactly what the reasoning is behind the move.
Advertisement
Sony is now dealing with the fact that Ghostbusters won’t get that China boost. Without them, there’s a chance that there might not be a Ghostbusters sequel.
