China, the single-largest overseas film market for Hollywood movies, has reportedly banned DC’s latest superhero movie, Black Adam.
According to claims on fan sites, actor Pierce Brosnan’s previous remarks about the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama are the cause of the ban.
Also read: ‘Black Adam’ crosses $250M at global box office, surpasses ‘Birds of Prey’ within 10 days
Public figures associated with the leader have been known to face criticism in China, where the autonomy of Tibet is a controversial subject.
The titular antihero of Black Adam is played by Dwayne Johnson. Apart from Johnson, the film features Pierce Brosnan, who plays Doctor Fate, and also includes a brief appearance of Henry Cavill, who will next be seen as Superman in the DC Extended Universe.
Since its release last month, the movie has done well internationally, collecting $200 million. The movie hasn’t opened in China yet, but there were hopes that it would be there later this year to boost its worldwide box office.
But this week, on fan forums, rumors started to circulate that it had been banned in China. An industry insider using the pseudonym Isaac Newton claimed on the forum Box Office Theory that Black Adam would not be making its Chinese debut. Later in the thread, someone offered the justification that the government had chosen not to approve the film’s release because it stars Brosnan, who had previously spoken about meeting the Dalai Lama.
so ALLEGEDLY black adam has been banned in china, the country that WB hoped would carry its box office numbers(like aquaman), because pierce brosnan supported the dalai lama in an interview
so chinese marvel fans took the chance to complain and stop it from being released 💀 pic.twitter.com/sjrcp0NyZ3
— Neb | 🏳️🌈 (@NebsGoodTakes) November 3, 2022
During an interview with GQ in October, Pierce Brosnan discussed his encounter with the Dalai Lama and gave the spiritual leader high praise.
As several other movies have faced a ban due to similar reasons in China, this may be the cause for Black Adam’s shadow ban. However, there hasn’t been any official announcement made about it.
Due to the country’s sizable market, the majority of big studios attempt to have their blockbuster films released there despite China’s annual restrictions on the number of international film releases. DC’s Aquaman made $291 million in the country, about 25% of its worldwide revenue. For the same reason, DC and Warner Bros would like to resolve the issues with Black Adam.
Also read: ‘Black Adam’ review: Dwayne Johnson’s star power squandered in another muddled DCEU drama
