Actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy attend the premiere of "The Revenant" at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California, on Dec. 16, 2015. (Photo : Getty Images)
Following its Oscar night success, Alejandro G. Inarritu’s “The Revenant” has been cleared for wide release on Chinese theaters later this month.
Although the details are still being negotiated, the Bona Film Group posted on the Weibo social media platform that the 19th-century revenge epic, which won three Oscars for Best Cinematography, Director, and Actor for Leonardo DiCaprio, will have a Friday opening at cinemas across the Middle Kingdom on March 18.
Friday and Saturday release slots have become a rare occurrence for Hollywood films in China, the world's second biggest movie market, as local regulators often reserve the most lucrative opening dates for domestic productions.
"The Revenant," co-financed by a subsidiary of Chinese animation firm Alpha Animation, is seen as helping foreign films receive favorable treatment from local regulators and state-backed entities involved in distribution, according to Deadline.com.
Alpha Animation, which is also an investor in upcoming films "Splinter Cell" and "Assassin's Creed," injected an undisclosed but reportedly "substantial" sum into the project, said Deadline. Principal financing of "The Revenant" was provided by New Regency Films.
Despite being greenlit, "The Revenant" is unlikely to be screened in Chinese theaters without undergoing cuts, particularly of the film's violence. China operates a strict censorship system where movies with graphic content often have to be trimmed to become more suitable for general viewing.
"For sure, there will be a lot of cuts," an unnamed source told The Hollywood Reporter on Monday. "Some of the violence is too much for China."
Reports indicate that DiCaprio, who is highly popular with Chinese moviegoers following his lead role in the 1997 blockbuster "Titanic," will promote the local release of the film, which will be handled jointly by Bona, Alpha and the state-owned China Film Group.
"The Revenant" has grossed $404 million worldwide to date and is expected to earn more from the Chinese box office, which grew 49 percent in 2015 with $6.78 billion in revenue for the year. The country is expected to surpass North America as the world's largest market for films sometime next year.
