MI3 Delayed in China

Despite the fact that its script was approved by government censors, the release of Mission: Impossible III is facing trouble in China over concerns that the movie "tarnishes the image of Shanghai." According to Variety, the project was covered so heavily in the Chinese press while it was begin shot that it's hard to believe a single frame was photographed unnoticed -- even the ones showing "rags and underwear drying outdoors in side streets rather than of the gleaming skyscrapers of the city skyline," the scenes that are rumored to be part of the problem.

Though there is no talk of the movie being outright banned in China, it's becoming increasingly likely that delays will push its release back to late July, after the five week early-summer blackout imposed on foreign films during the national celebration of the Communist Party's anniversary. And, since by that time it will have been on screens around the world for months, high-quality, dirt-cheap bootleg DVDs of MI3 will have flooded major Chinese cities, thus dramatically reducing the size of its potential theatrical audience.

So, that's a few million more bucks the movie won't make -- which is, you know, terribly sad. Yawn. It's hard to tell how upset anyone will be over this, because though the film has disappointed at home, it's making money hand over fist abroad -- once The Da Vinci Code comes out, however, that might change.