Monster Hunter Movie Director Apologizes for Scene That Caused China Backlash

In case you somehow missed it, the international release of the Monster Hunter movie has caused a [...]

In case you somehow missed it, the international release of the Monster Hunter movie has caused a bit of a stir for a line in the film that essentially invoked a racist rhyme and got the movie pulled from theaters for it. Since then, producer Constantin Film has apologized for the scene, and now even director Paul W.S. Anderson has done so and confirmed that the offending line has been removed entirely.

"I am absolutely devastated that a line from our movie, Monster Hunter, has offended some audience members in China," Anderson said in a statement provided to Deadline. "I apologize for any anxiety or upset that this line and its interpretation caused. Monster Hunter was made as fun entertainment and I am mortified that anything within it has caused unintentional offense. We have respectfully removed the line from the movie. It was never our intention to send a message of discrimination or disrespect to anyone. To the contrary — at its heart our movie is about unity."

Here is the official description for the upcoming movie:

"Behind our world, there is another: a world of dangerous and powerful monsters that rule their domain with deadly ferocity. When an unexpected sandstorm transports Captain Artemis (Milla Jovovich) and her unit (TI Harris, Meagan Good, Diego Boneta) to a new world, the soldiers are shocked to discover that this hostile and unknown environment is home to enormous and terrifying monsters immune to their firepower. In their desperate battle for survival, the unit encounters the mysterious Hunter (Tony Jaa), whose unique skills allow him to stay one step ahead of the powerful creatures. As Artemis and Hunter slowly build trust, she discovers that he is part of a team led by the Admiral (Ron Perlman). Facing a danger so great it could threaten to destroy their world, the brave warriors combine their unique abilities to band together for the ultimate showdown."

Monster Hunter, the movie, is currently still set to release in the United States on December 25th. As noted above, it stars Milla Jovovich as Captain Artemis, Tony Jaa as Hunter, Ron Perlman as the Admiral, and TI Harris, Meagan Good, and Diego Boneta as members of Artemis' unit. The movie is directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. You can check out all of our previous coverage of the upcoming movie right here.

What do you think of what we have seen of the upcoming movie so far? Are you excited to see the movie when it releases? Let us know in the comments, or feel free to hit me up directly over on Twitter at @rollinbishop to talk about all things gaming!

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