If your life has been completely ruined by the mere idea of four woman fighting ghosts, then we have just the place for you to move to in an effort to save your childhood: China. Because the new, all-female led Ghostbusters reboot won’t be getting a release in the second largest market in the world, though it has nothing to do with some silly notion about the sanctity of the past.
The Hollywood Reporter states that their contacts in the country have told them the government has denied Sony’s request to release the film there because they do not think there is enough interest in it from Chinese citizens, citing the lack of people that ever saw the first two movies in the franchise. (The original never had a theatrical release there either.)
This denial was, apparently, not unexpected, but for an entirely different reason: movies pertaining to the supernatural have been banned in the past by the Chinese government, as official censorship guidelines prohibit movies that “promote cults or superstition” to their audiences. The listing for this new Ghostbusters didn’t even use the word “ghost” in the title over there (Super Power Dare Die Team isn’t quite as pithy as Ghostbusters), in an attempt to evade that problem, but it looks like that didn’t matter in the end.
A source at the studio has confirmed to Nerdist that it is this latter point—about ghosts and censorship—that is the real issue, despite what the Chinese government is claiming. In fact, the source at the studio claims Sony hasn’t even formally submitted it for approval yet. TWIST!
The new Ghostbusters opens in America this Friday, July 15th.
Are your surprised the Ghostbusters franchise isn’t that well known in China? Do you think the new movie could do well there anyway? Tell us what you think of this news in the comments below.
Images: Sony
