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owl [soylentnews.org] writes:

Hollywood has long bent over backwards to give Chinese censors what they want. Not anymore.

Over the past year, producers behind some of the hottest US blockbusters have kept in scenes that could irk China's censors, apparently less concerned about the potential loss of access to theaters across the country of 1.4 billion people.

As a result, some of the most anticipated movies released in recent months — including "Top Gun: Maverick," "Spider-Man: No Way Home" and "Lightyear" — have not, and may never, hit the world's second largest box office.

All films publicly screened in China need a permit from regulators. Censorship is rife, with authorities increasingly clamping down on what they perceive to be inappropriate, including in some cases the appearance of cleavage, tattoos or people smoking, as well as more obviously politically sensitive elements.

Original Submission