Sony loses millions after rejecting China’s demand to remove Statue of Liberty from new ‘Spider-Man’ film

May 3, 2022

“Spider-Man: No Way Home” was not released in China after Sony rejected a request to delete scenes that include the Statue of Liberty, a new report claims.

In China, films are reviewed by the China Film Administration under the Publicity Department of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). According to multiple sources who spoke to Puck, Chinese authorities initially wanted Sony and Marvel Studios to take out the American landmark, which is prominently featured during the film’s third act.

Chinese regulators reportedly modified the original request to remove the action-packed sequence, instead asking for the removal of certain shots from the sequence that they deemed too “patriotic,” such as the scenes where Tom Holland’s Spider-Man stands on the Statue of Liberty’s crown. The regulators also suggested dimming the parts when the statue is shown to make it less noticeable.

Sony ultimately rejected the request, resulting in Chinese authorities preventing the latest Spider-Man film from being released in the biggest film market in the world. The film lost a potential $170 million-$340 million in sales from China, according to reports.

“Spider-Man: Homecoming,” the first film in the latest Spider-Man trilogy, earned around $117 million – 13.3% of its global earnings – in China in 2017. Its sequel, 2019’s “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” generated around $204.9 million – 18.25% of its global earnings – in the region.

Despite never having been released in China, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” still became one of the highest-grossing movies of all time, listed behind other blockbusters such as “Avatar,” “Titanic,” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and “Avengers: Infinity War.”

Feature Image via Sony Pictures Entertainment

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