While American comic book fans are just happy that a Deadpool movie exists, fans in China won’t even be able to see it. The 20th Century Fox film has been denied a Chinese theatrical release thanks to its graphic violence.
The news began to spread within China over the weekend after sites like Mtime reported it. A source for The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that these reports are true. China Film Group will not release the film there.
Comic book fans have long feared that a Deadpool film would water-down the character’s habit of using curses and violently killing his enemies, but a series of awesome red band trailers have proved that’s not the case. Director Tim Miller and star Ryan Reynolds have done their best to keep the character as close to his comic incarnation as possible, to the detriment of the film’s possible international release.
The news can’t be a surprise to Fox. Hollywood studios have had to deal with China’s censors and media regulators before to ensure that some films get shown in the world’s second largest theatrical market. Still, Marvel-related films - like Avengers and even Guardians of the Galaxy - have done well in China, so Fox was probably hoping something would work out.
Deadpool hits theaters in the U.S. on Feb. 12.