‘Avatar’ Banned in China for Being Too Successful

As James Cameron’s latest film, “Avatar,” is taking huge leaps towards becoming the most successful movie ever made, surpassing current record holder “Titanic” (also a James Cameron film), China has officially ruled that the movie is too successful. “Avatar” in 2D will be yanked off Chinese screens on January 22 to allow China-made movies a chance at the box office, Bloomberg informs.

However, versions of “Avatar” in 3D and IMAX will continue to run in Chinese theaters until February, because, obviously, the film meets no real competition here. The 2D version will be pulled though, as the Chinese New Year marks the release of many domestic productions, including “Confucius” with Chow Yun-Fat. All these releases would literally stand no chance at the box office with “Avatar” still running, it is being said.

“China will pull the two-dimensional version of News Corp.’s ‘Avatar’ from theaters on Jan. 22, three weeks after the movie began playing there, a Shanghai film distributor said. Chinese moviegoers will still be able to see the movie in 3D, Wu Hehu, vice director of Shanghai United Circuit, said in an interview late yesterday. United Circuit is distributing the movie in the city of Shanghai,” Bloomberg writes.

“Revenue from 3D showings accounted for 84 percent of ticket sales last week, Wu said. The movie has generated $75.6 million in sales since it opened in China on Jan. 2, according to Sherman Oaks, California-based Box Office Mojo. Wu called the decision to pull the 2D version of the film ‘normal.’ […] Zhang Hongsen, vice director of the film bureau of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, said yesterday that the decision to pull Avatar from 2D screens was a government order, the China Daily newspaper reported,” the same report goes on to detail.

China is usually very protective of its own movie industry, allowing only about 20 foreign productions to screen in its theaters each year. Word in the media has it director James Cameron actually had to fight tooth and nail for “Avatar” to end up on China’s movie screens.