The Dark Knight TDK won't be released in China....WB cites cultural sensitivites

[biolumen]

Or maybe they figured everyone over there has already watched it via bootleg DVD. Oh well, their loss.

China to miss out on 'Dark Knight'
WB cites 'cultural sensitivities' in decision

By DAVE MCNARY

Warner Bros. has decided to take a pass on releasing "The Dark Knight" in China.

The studio, which has seen foreign grosses top $465 million for "Knight," made the disclosure in a statement Tuesday.

"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," Warner said.

A studio spokesman declined to elaborate. "The Dark Knight" included scenes shot in Hong Kong, which could have created difficulties in convincing censors to approve the release.

The Chinese market has been growing impressively in years due to increased numbers of multiplexes and an expanding middle class. But sensitivities remain high about Hollywood's treatment of its culture.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117997740.html?categoryId=3247&cs=1

 

[Figs]

Ok...wtf?!

"Hollywood's treatment of it's culture". Yeah there have been alot of stereotypes and racist things in film since it began but I didn't see anything like that in TDK.

What this comes down to is they're ******** that in the film, Batman goes to their country and kicks some ass.

What a bunch of cry babies.

 

[Mister J]

This is just because the Joker immolated Lau.

That was necessary. He was sending a message, dammit!

 

[TLH]

Or maybe it's because Lau was "good with calculation"...

 

[Deadshot59]

I guess I missed the scene where Batman walks down the street in Hong Kong randomly fighting people calling them ricemongers. :X

 

[Drizzle]

I guess I missed the scene where Batman walks down the street in Hong Kong randomly fighting people calling them ricemongers. :X

You must have also missed the scene where The Joker taunted Lau by chanting "Me Chinese, me play joke! Me make pee-pee in your Coke!"

 

[dark_b]

its already on DVD. would they made a profit?

 

[AxlsAppetite]

You mean China banned it. First Chinese Democracy now TDK.

 

[Hole Shot]

They don't want to see a bunch of people tying balloons to their waste hoping a plane snags them to escape?

 

[hippie_hunter]

If you think about it, I can kinda understand why Warner Bros. doesn't want to go through the process.

The film would have been probably heavily censored since the film did portray China in a negative light such as China's lack of an extradition treaty with the United States in which Lau was allowed to go free with the money that funds the various gangs and mafias in Gotham and the corruption within China.

Such instances which were rather integral to the plot would have most likely been censored, along with the rampant piracy going on with films in China were what probably influenced Warner Bros' decision to forgo the Chinese theatrical release of the Dark Knight.

 

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

This is very true, I can understand why they decided on this!

 

[Red Mask]

Whatever. The movie has made enough money already.

 

[Red Mask]

As for the corruption part, oh yeah. Like these movies have really helped the people of Naples. When a little Italian boy wished Batman could fight the garbage problem this year nothing happened. Batman can't fight the Italian Mafia that controls the trash collecting. Everybody knows that. The Mob rules Tel Aviv and everybody knows it now. There's corruption in the U.S. government and everybody knows it. But Batman really can't do anything about it.

He can't save poor Caylee Anthony. No Christmas for that poor girl.

 

[animexcel]

As for the corruption part, oh yeah. Like these movies have really helped the people of Naples. When a little Italian boy wished Batman could fight the garbage problem this year nothing happened. Batman can't fight the Italian Mafia that controls the trash collecting.

You made me think of this.

[YT]i7gIpuIVE3k[/YT]

 

[Red Mask]

I like the garbage scene in Schwarzenegger's "Commando" film better. They used autmomatic weapons.

 

[Daredevil_2003]

You made me think of this.

[YT]i7gIpuIVE3k[/YT]

 

[Fenrir]

At least this will give us an excuse as to why The Dark Knight couldn't crack 1 billion at the global box office: it wasn't released in the most populated country in the world.

 

[Red Mask]

It didn't do squat at Japan either which is the 2nd toughest market to break compared to the U.S. Since most foreign films don't make it into China, it's nothing significant in that respect. Mama Mia has become the biggest grossing film in Great Britain.

 

[wootbaby]

1) very few movies get an "official release" in PRK. it's literally a couple dozen a year. it's a lot of red tape and only most major US released dont get shown in the theaters

2) whatever biases we'd have here in our movies would be transparent to us by definition now wouldn't it? if we had biases we'd not know them... well because we'd be biased. we americans take it as faith that chinese businessmen are sneaky mobster types but it doesn't mean they have to think of themselves that way do they? I guess if they dont AGREE with how we stereotype em, they're the ones being sensitive

look at it this way, what if there was an Iranian movie who showed some Israeli character as the central monetary crime figure in an international zionist conspiracy that was dumping drugs into the arab world, and the hero snuck into tel aviv, beat up a bunch of mobsters hiding behind the guise of a yeshiva and extradited by force the evil jew. now imaging EVERY movie you ever saw with israeli or jews had basically that same plot... any actor who was jewish or part jewish like jack black, philip seymour hoffman, shia lebeuff, etc etc all had to play that same mobster role in every movie

after 60 years you might be sensitive too.

not saying the chinese are right or wrong. but that's how they feel about the matter. you'd have to be a pretty thickheaded sort to have an issue with OTHER PPL's FEELINGS

it's not like we have to AGREE with it... any more than they have to agree with us

 

[Jodo]

Its because WB is good with calculation.

 

[ClarkLuther55]

I have a feeling it was the defective Chinese gun in the courtroom scene. Now I don't know the real reason China didn't like the movie, but the Lau stuff was somewhat more understandable. He's a Chinese criminal, and it's not like those don't exist. China's unwillingness to extradite him can be seen as "anti-China," but at least it played a part in the plot.

The Chinese gun just seemed so unnecessary and silly though. Say what you want about the poor quality of their products, but I think the Chinese are capable of making a gun that shoots. Harvey Dent blatantly saying "Buy American" drove home the message.

 

[Deadshot59]

I have a feeling it was the defective Chinese gun in the courtroom scene. Now I don't know the real reason China didn't like the movie, but the Lau stuff was somewhat more understandable. He's a Chinese criminal, and it's not like those don't exist. China's unwillingness to extradite him can be seen as "anti-China," but at least it played a part in the plot.

The Chinese gun just seemed so unnecessary and silly though. Say what you want about the poor quality of their products, but I think the Chinese are capable of making a gun that shoots. Harvey Dent blatantly saying "Buy American" drove home the message.

You forgot the part after "buy american" where Dent mumbles "...screw China."

 

[ross2287]

Maybe it's because when Fox pulls out his second phone after his meeting with Lau and shows it to the Chinese security guard, the security guard looks so confused like he's never seen a piece of technology before.

 

[namtaB]

They already have their money, praise, and glory. Doesn't make much sense to push this issue.

 

[Two-Face]

**** China, excuse my French there but WB rerelease the move in UK since almost everything is British.