Government officials in China have decided to not let "Mission: Impossible III" open on its scheduled release date, unhappy with the ways in which the film depicts confused Chinese security … despite that fact that "MI:3" is, y’know, a work of fiction.
Says Variety: "Senior Chinese government officials have shot down hopes that "Mission: Impossible III," which opens across Asia on Wednesday, would get a day-and-date or near-simultaneous release in China. Mounting worries about how the pic portrays China mean the film can now only hope for a mid-July outing, by which time piracy is expected to have eroded its box office potential locally.
Film spent more than a month lensing in China and its final action sequence is set in Shanghai. It was made as an assisted co-production and China Film receives a credit. It was subject to script approval before shooting and Chinese supervision during production.
Local sources suggest the film’s depiction of a major crime that the Chinese police do not know about is now viewed as portraying security services in a poor light."
