‘Deadpool’ Banned: China’s Censors Won’t Let The Movie Play In Theaters
We under a month away from seeing the wacky and dangerous Merc with a Mouth take the big screen properly in 20th Century Fox’sDeadpool. And while fans are extremely excited to see the film will all the cursing, violence, and nudity they were hoping for from theofficially R-rated comic book flickstarringRyan Reynolds, the censors in China are less than thrilled with the film’s content. In fact, they have denied permission for the film to screen in China at all. Find out more below.
The first reports ofDeadpoolbanned in China came out of various Chinese outlets (viaTHR), and the decision from censors has since been confirmed by someone close to China Film Group. This shouldn’t be surprising to hear since China famously works with Hollywood studios to scrub R-rated movies of content that they don’t want their audiences to see. However, in the case ofDeadpool, the Chinese government has apparently deemed it impossible to cut the offensive material without creating problems with understanding the plot.
While this seems like a wholly archaic and freedom-violating system, that’s just how China operates with entertainment. They have no ratings system like the MPAA, so all the media is regulated by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT), who decide whether certain media will be approved or banned for consumption for people of all ages.
The thought ofDeadpoolbeing banned in China wasn’t a surprise, but reportedly some thought the Marvel brand might help push it through the censors. But the Merc with a Mouth is just too much for China’s censors to handle.
However, considering that China has quite the piracy market, I’m betting that anyone over there who still wants to see the movie will get their hands on a copy somehow. It’s sad that they won’t be able to see it on the big screen with an audience as it was meant to be seen, but at least there’s a loophole to get around their awful entertainment censorship. The big question is if this will put a big dent inDeadpool’s international box office, potentially hurting the chances of a sequel.
Deadpoolis directed by Tim Miller and written byRhett ReeseandPaul Wernick(Zombieland). The rest of the cast includesT.J. Milleras Weasel,Brianna Hildebrandas Negasonic Teenage Warhead,Stefan Kapicicas Colossus,Gina Caranoas Angel Dust,Morena Baccarinas Copycat andEd Skreinas Ajax.
