James Cameron’s $1 billion epic Avatar is to be banned from being screened in China because the country’s censors believe that the film’s plot will lead to civil unrest, according to reports.
The Golden Globe-winning film, which was expected to earn more than £45 million at the Chinese box office, will be replaced with a patriotic biopic on the life of famous Chinese thinker and social philosopher, Confucius, Telegraph online reported.
Avatar has irked Chinese censors who are worried that the film’s plot, which has been hit by accusations of racism, could lead to civil unrest in the country. The report quoted Hong Kong’s newspaper Apple Daily and stated that parallels have been drawn between the plight of the Na’vi clan in the film and people in China vulnerable to, often brutal, eviction by predatory property developers.
The paper reported that the state-run China Film Group has issued orders to cinemas across the country to stop showing the 2D version of the film and only show the film in 3D.
