Ghostbusters Isn’t Coming To China

Apparently, someone is afraid of all those Ghosts.

China has emerged as a huge force in Hollywood, and can make a big difference in a film’s bottom line. Unfortunately for Ghostbusters, the film won’t benefit from that lucrative cash cow, as the country has denied the film’s release.

This isn’t unprecedented. Movies have had issues in the past getting released in China if they contained references to Ghosts as well as heightened levels of violence. Films like Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and Deadpool have struggled to get released in the territory for various reasons, but there may be a bit more to it than originally believed.

One thing to note is that both of the original Ghostbuster films did not release in China, which according to THR sources, is actually the reason why the film is not being allowed to debut.

“It’s been confirmed that Ghostbusters won’t be coming to China because they think it’s not really that attractive to Chinese audiences,” says one Chinese executive. “Most of the Chinese audience didn’t see the first and second movies, so they don’t think there’s much market for it here.”

To a degree it makes sense. If you haven’t seen the originals, that fondness for the franchise is not going to be there. On the other hand, it is a reboot, a perfect way to gain legions of new fans. Word of mouth for the film has been pretty positive so far, with high estimates of a $50 million opening weekend.

Ghostbusters releases in theaters on July 15th.