China’s Communist Party has a problem with ghosts, which is bad news for Sony Pictures Entertainment’s $154 million “Ghostbusters.”
Director Paul Feig’s all-female reboot of the 1984 classic has been denied release by China’s censorship board, sources told the Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday. Guidelines forbid any content that “promote cults or superstition,” the entertainment magazine reported.
“It’s been confirmed that Ghostbusters won’t be coming to China, because they think it’s not really that attractive to Chinese audiences,” a Chinese executive told the website. “Most of the Chinese audience didn’t see the first and second movies, so they don’t think there’s much market for it here.”
The original films starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson and Harold Ramis were also denied a theatrical release in China. The first movie grossed nearly $300 million worldwide on a $30 million budget.
Sony has not commented on the decision by China Film Co., the state-owned group that handles the import and release of all foreign movies in the country, THR said.
“Ghostbusters” stars Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon, Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig. The movie will be released this Friday in North America.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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