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Will Mission Impossible reach China?

By rediff Entertainment Bureau
May 16, 2006 19:29 IST
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A still from MI 3It may be ruling movie screens across America, and inching its way to the top spot in a number of other countries. Tom Cruise's Mission Impossible III may take quite a while to win over China though.

According to the South China Morning Post, the third instalment of the Mission Impossible series -- involving yet another assignment for secret agent Ethan Hunt (Cruise) -- has yet to be given permission for release in China by authorities. The problem appears to be the way Shanghai has been portrayed in the film. Apparently, the censors weren't thrilled to see a derelict area of the city, washing hung out on bamboo poles, and a portrayal of the country's police as inept.

Interestingly, although most films require just one viewing to get approval, MI-III has already been sent to the authorities three times. The extra attention comes from the fact that part of it has been filmed in China. Add to this the routine barring of foreign film screenings between June 10 and July 11 -- the school holiday period, to protect the domestic film industry -- and a possible release date appears even more distant.

Hollywood goes big in May

Needless to say, the delay could have already caused box-office harm. Rumours of a ban may have led to a rise in sales of pirated discs available on the market, prompting distributors to consider taking legal action against the newsmakers.

It's a bit of a tragedy, really, considering the film's focus on China had initially raised expectations of attracting more Chinese to movie halls than many other foreign films.

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