Chinese fans of Katniss Everdeen and the rest of the Tributes are in for another disappointment as the release of the Hollywood film "Mockingjay-Part 1" has been pushed back yet again to Feb. 8, 2015.
According to reports, the postponement of the release of "Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 1" in China was made to make way for local films scheduled to be released during the holiday movie season and to take advantage of the upcoming Chinese New Year.
The third installment of the post-apocalyptic epic trilogy was originally scheduled for release in China on Nov. 21.
According to a report from The Guardian, the world's fastest growing film market has delayed the release of the highly anticipated Hollywood film in order to protect its homegrown titles.
"While China is much freer than people think, the government controls the release calendar [through the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television]. There have always been 'blackout' periods, around popular holidays and festivals, that aim to protect the most anticipated locally made films," Beijing-based editor of Variety Patrick Frater explained.
In 2014, the country's box-office charts had been widely dominated by Hollywood movies including the all-time highest grossing film "Transformers: Age of Extinction," which earned more than $300 million frpm the viewership market.
Other Hollywood blockbusters that achieved high gross sales include "X-Men: Days of Future Past" that earned $116.5 million, "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" with $115.6 million, and "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" with $107.3 million.
Frater explained that Hollywood should not take "Mockingjay's" postponement as a move to undermine the U.S. film industry's share in sales in China, adding that it was an innocent effort to support China's domestic titles.