Paul Fieg’s all-female remake of the 1984 classic has received mixed reviews around the world, but the world’s second largest movie market won’t be getting in on that action.
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The US entertainment industry trade newspaper The Hollywood Reporter has reported that Chinese authorities have denied the Ghostbusters reboot a release in China.
China’s censorship law prohibits movies that “promote cults or superstition” which has led to bans against movies that depict ghosts or supernatural beings in a semi-realistic manner.
Ghostbusters may be poised to become a blockbuster hit around the world, but audiences in China are likely to miss out on seeing the film.
The new Ghostbusters premieres tonight, and Kate McKinnon’s turn as nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann is already being hailed as the breakout performance of the film.
The movie could potentially have been a tricky one for the Chinese censors given that in the past other movies featuring ghosts have failed to pass muster – among them 2006’s Pirates Of The Caribbean sequel Dead Man’s Chest. “Ghostbusters” cost about $144 million to make, yet with expected opening weekend earnings between $38 million to $50 million, our stars should be just fine raking in money in spooky America. The film even changed its Chinese title to remove the word “ghost”.
Sony has yet to release an official statement regarding the issue, but THR reported that the film hasn’t been officially submitted for approval by Chinese regulators. According to Blastr, the 2016 version would’ve been called “Super Power Dare Die Team”.
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Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Kristen Wiig and Leslie Jones appear in a scene from, “Ghostbusters”.
