Last week Danwei noted that the new Hong Kong triad movie Ah Sou, having passed the censors with nary a cut, would open on the mainland today, simultaneous with the rest of Asia.
We spoke too soon.
On 3 August, theaters were instructed to hold the film until the 6th since a final inspection was required. Surprisingly, Ah Sou failed the inspection, and the producers were requested to make changes before it could open on the mainland.
Or so goes one version of the story. According to the distribution company, defects were found while prints were being run off – parts of the Mandarin version retained the Cantonese vocal track – forcing producers to return to Hong Kong to correct the errors.
In any event, the film is delayed indefinitely – perhaps one week or more – as problems are sorted out. Precisely how much that week’s worth of bootleg DVD sales will eat into Ah Sou‘s box-office take is left as an exercise for the reader.
- Yangtse Evening News (Chinese): Ah Sou mainland screening delayed
- Chengdu Economic News (Chinese): Ah Sou loses its voice
- Danwei on the mainland censors: One Country, Two Versions