HOLLYWOOD - Will Smith's new movie I Am Legend has suffered a major box office setback in the Far East--Chinese film bosses have banned it from their cinemas.
The Hollywood actor has been campaigning to secure a release for I Am Legend, but China is stubbornly sticking to its policy of capping the influx of Hollywood movies--part of a drive to boost the country's film industry.
The delay comes amid reports China has issued a three-month ban on all American films.
Smith says, "We struggled very, very hard to try to get it to work out, but there are only a certain amount of foreign films that are allowed in."
However, the Oscar-nominated actor hasn't given up hope of agreeing a release date--he's currently working on a deal with China Film Group's chairman Han Sanping.
In the past, Chinese regulators have issued bans on foreign films during holidays and school breaks, when audiences are biggest.
http://www.hollywood.com/news/Smiths_Movie_Banned_in_China/5010731
