Adam Sandler's new movie "Pixels" was reportedly edited to please the Chinese government and earn approval for release in the communist country. (Photo : Facebook)
Sony Pictures Entertainment cut parts of the blockbuster "Pixels," starring Adam Sandler, with the intention of ensuring that the film be approved for release in China, according to leaked internal emails that were published by WikiLeaks in April 2014.
The parts cut include a scene where aliens destroy the Great Wall, along with some dialogue wherein China is speculated to be behind the alien invasion and a reference to a "Communist-conspiracy brother" hacking a mail server.
Li Chow, chief representative of Sony Pictures in China, said in an email dated Dec. 2013 that "even though breaking a hole on the Great Wall may not be a problem as long as it is part of a worldwide phenomenon, it is actually unnecessary because it will not benefit the China release at all. I would then, recommend not to do it."
Li Chow ended up recommending all references to China be scrapped from the final cut of the film.
This is not the only reference to self-censorship for the Chinese market among the emails. Li Chow mentioned the film "RoboCop," advising against creating two final versions of the film, one for China and one for the rest of the world, in order to prevent bloggers from comparing the two versions and accusing Sony of self-censorship in order to pander to Chinese sensibilities.
There were also several emails that mentioned the film "Captain Phillips" and how it was not approved for release in China, noting the revenue lost.
The United States blamed North Korea for the leaked emails, as it preceded Sony's release of "The Interview," a film about the fictional assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Recently, Sony, as well as other studios, has been more considerate of whether China will approve a film or not, taking into account the financial advantage of having a film screened in China.
Last year, the combined box-office receipts of the United States and Canada totaled $10.4 billion, falling 5 percent compared with 2013. On the other hand, the Motion Picture Association of America Inc. reported that receipts in China jumped 34 percent to $4.8 billion during that same period.
This week, China approved of "Pixels" being shown in Chinese theaters. It will open on Sept. 15.
