Quentin Tarantino's 'Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood' won't be released in China unless Bruce Lee's portrayal is edited
- Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood's" China release, which was originally slated for October 25, has been halted, according to multiple outlets including The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, and Deadline.
- THR and Variety reported that Bruce Lee's daughter, Shannon Lee, filed a complaint with China's National Film Administration over her father's portrayal in the movie.
- The movie will be released in China if Tarantino makes edits, according to Variety.
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Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" is one of his most successful movies yet. With $366 million worldwide since it hit theaters in July, it's second only to his 2012 hit, "Django Unchained," which earned $425 million globally.
But it may not have the chance to reach the top of the Tarantino box office.
"Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood's" China release, which was originally slated for October 25, has been put on hold, according to multiple outlets including The Hollywood Reporter (which first reported it), Variety, and Deadline.
Representatives for the studio, Sony Pictures, did not immediately return a request for comment to Business Insider.
THR and Variety reported that Bruce Lee's daughter, Shannon Lee, filed a complaint with China's National Film Administration over the portrayal of her father, who is played by Mike Moh. Moh's Lee and Brad Pitt's character, stuntman Cliff Booth, are pitted against one another in a scene that Shannon Lee had previously taken issue with.
She told The Wrap in July that it was "disheartening" to see her father depicted as "an arrogant a--hole who was full of hot air."
Tarantino has defended Lee's portrayal in the movie, saying that he was "kind of an arrogant guy" at a press junket in August.
"The way he was talking, I didn't just make a lot of that up," Tarantino said. "I heard him say things like that, to that effect."
An anonymous source told Variety that the movie will be released in China "as long as Quentin can make some cuts."
THR reported that there is a "last-minute scramble" at the movie's Chinese financier, Bona Film Group, to work with Tarantino to recut the film for it to be approved for release before October 25.
"Django Unchained," the only other Tarantino movie to experience a proper Chinese release, faced similar issues. It was abruptly pulled from theaters in the country during its opening night with no explanation, according to THR. An edited version was released a month later, but the movie ultimately made just $2.65 million in China.