The much-awaited sequel to James Cameron’s 2009 sci-fi epic Avatar titled Avatar: The Way of Water will reportedly be released in Mainland China on the same day as its international release which falls on 16 December. In recent times, Hollywood films have had a hard time getting past the Chinese government’s strict regulations to get approval to release in the country. 

Big-budget films like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Top Gun: Maverick were some of the recent films to have been banned in the country while Minions: The Rise of Gru and Where the Crawdads Sing were approved for release. 

While China’s ideologically intense and politically motivated censorship could be a part of the ban, the move could also be a way to lessen the competition for big-budget Chinese films. Films like The Battle at Changjin Lake, Asura, Monster Hunt 2, and Wolf Warrior, made by Chinese studios have become huge blockbusters in the country.

The Chinese market has been an area of interest for Hollywood studios since the size of the population would mean a tremendous increase in box office numbers.