Shang Chi came out and is set to become the most successful American movie post COVID. It’s also set to become the most successful film in history with a primarily Asian cast made in the US.
But it’s likely getting banned in China.
Beijing has already banned it.
No official release due to regulators in China.
China openly saying not to expect a release.
Reason?
Simu Liu who is the main actor is an immigrant from China, as well as his family and they don’t agree with how China is run.
His father is a vocal anti communist.
Simu years ago was quoted calling it a “third world nation in costume”
From just expressing an opinion, China is going to deny 1.3 billion people the right to see a movie, damage a multi billion dollar relationship with Disney/American movies and that decision could actually prevent this movie from drawing a profit.
This is a big deal, because Simu Liu could get denied a chance to be in future Avengers movies.
The ending to the film set it up clearly that Simu Liu would be in the next Avengers movie, as well as other spin-offs.
Avengers 2012 made 83 million in China.
5.5% of the box office
Avengers Age of Ultron made made 240 million.
17% of the box office
Avengers Infinity War was 359 million.
17.5% of the box office
Avengers Endgame was 629 million.
22.5% of the box office
Simu Liu for the any future movies he’s in could be a risk to Disney.
If he’s in it, they lose China and could lose 20% of the total earnings for the movie.
And for an idea of how China treats actors.
Brad Pitt was banned in China for 19 years, because of the movie Seven Years in Tibet.
Richard Gere is still banned in China for devoting his Oscar speech in 1993 to Tibet.
Sharon Stone said the Chinese oppressed the Dalai Lama and they banned all of her movies.
Harrison Ford was banned for being pro Tibet.
Simu Liu is facing the same risk and this is 100% going to hurt his career.
This is also going to spread where Disney and other studios are going to have actors by the arm and say they won’t get hired if they talk about China.
Liu Yifei who played Mulan in 2020’s live action reboot mocked the protestors in Hong Kong and supported China.
Mulan 2020 also thanked a province in China which let them film there in the end credits of the movie. That province has over a million people in concentration camps there, largely minorities.
And it goes passed Disney.
HBOMax edited the Friends Reunion in China to take out Lady Gaga’s scenes, because she supports the Dalai Lama.
Netflix asked Adam Sandler to redo the screenplay of a movie he’s releasing there, because it had China in it.
China doesn’t have freedom of speech or freedom of anything.
I’ve written on this a lot, but there’s going to be a trickle down impact of China’s oppression to the US unless some changes are made.