No ‘Dark Knight’ for China
by JACQUES STEINBERG

  • Moviegoers in China will not get to experience Heath Ledger’s bone-chilling performance as the Joker in “The Dark Knight” — or any other aspect of the film for that matter. While “The Dark Knight” is already showing in Hong Kong, Warner Brothers has opted not to open it in China, or even offer it to government censors for their consideration, because of what the studio described as “prerelease conditions” and “cultural sensitivities,” The Associated Press reported. The studio may have been concerned that censors would be offended by scenes shot in Hong Kong, including those in which Batman nabs a gangster. Another potential point of conflict: the film includes a brief appearance by Edison Chen, above, the Hong Kong singer and record producer who appeared in sexually explicit photographs with several women that were posted on the Internet this year.

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