By Choekyi Lhamo
DHARAMSHALA, Nov. 7: The latest Hollywood superhero movie Black Adam starring Dwayne Johnson is rumoured to be banned in China because of the cast member Pierce Brosnan’s mention of meeting the Dalai Lama in a past interview, according to reports. As per online fan forums, the DC universe’s film is been banned due to Brosnan’s association with the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama.
The film running worldwide has earned $200 million since its release last month; it features Johnson as the titular antihero and Brosnan as Doctor Fate with a cameo of Henry Cavill playing the Superman. The film has not been released in China yet, but the rumours of the ban in the country were discussed on Chinese fan forums earlier this week. This film is not the first to be banned by the Chinese government, as Keanu Reeves’ “Matrix Resurrections” was blocked due to his feature at the Tibet House’s virtual concert earlier this year.
On the forum Box Office Theory, an alleged insider with the pseudonym Issac Newton claimed that Black Adam will not be released in China. In an interview with GQ last month, Brosnan shared an anecdote about meeting with the Dalai Lama. The thread further speculated that this could be the sole reason for the shadow ban as several other films have also been prevented from release over similar reasons. However there is no official announcement yet.
DC’s blockbuster Aquaman reportedly earned $291 million in China, which makes up for 25% of its global earnings. Brad Pitt, Richard Gere, Martin Scorsese, Lady Gaga, and Harrison Ford are some of the many celebrities banned by China for supporting the Dalai Lama and Tibet.
