Those cultural taboos may cost the film a lucrative release in the Chinese market, the second biggest film market in the world.
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The report also indicates that – along with the country’s secular restrictions – another, less controversial rationale might be at play in China’s decision not to release the film.
The Hollywood Reporter said Wednesday that the film was denied release in China, citing sources close to the decision-making process in Beijing. While comedies tend to perform worse overseas, “Ghostbusters” has a strong genre element that could serve the film well in territories outside North America, like China. Guidelines forbid any content that “promote cults or superstition”, the entertainment magazine reported.
Ghostbusters director Paul Feig told the Daily Beast that he was apprehensive about confirming the gayness of real-life queer lady Kate McKinnon’s character, Holtzmann. “The reboot, however, has been reworked as ‘超能敢死队, ‘ meaning ‘Super Power Dare Die Team.'” So maybe there was some thought it was eligible, but it was ultimately rejected upon further consideration.
The original film, released in 1984, grossed nearly $US300 million at the United States box office.
The film comes thirty years after the beloved original franchise took the world by storm. The 1984 original (which also never saw a movie theater in China, either), was titled 捉鬼敢死队, literally translating to “Ghost Catcher Dare Die Team”.
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Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters reboot has been enjoying generally decent/good reviews (you can check out ours here), and looks set for a very respectable opening weekend at the US box office – but THR is reporting on some news that might just put a dampener on the positivity parade.
