Batman blockbuster The Dark Knight won t be screened in Chinese cinemas, Warner Bros. said in a statement Wednesday.
The studio said that the acclaimed film – the second highest-grossing movie in US box-office history – would be canned in China, with cultural sensitivities cited as one of the reasons for the no-show.
Based on a number of pre-release conditions that are being attached to The Dark Knight as well as cultural sensitivities to some elements of the film, we have opted to forego a theatrical release of the film in China, a statement emailed to AFP said.
It was not clear what cultural sensitivities were at issue but the movie includes an action sequence shot in Hong Kong where Batman, played by Christian Bale, apprehends a Chinese money-launderer.
In 2006, Chinese authorities barred the release of Hollywood movie Memoirs of a Geisha amid speculation that its portrayal of Japanese courtesans played by Chinese actresses could spark public controversy.
Taiwanese director Ang Lee s gay cowboy drama Brokeback Mountain was also denied a release in China. -AFP
