Actor Will Smiths film I Am Legend will hit movie theatres across Asia later this month but not in China.
London, Dec 10 : Actor Will Smith's film "I Am Legend" will hit movie theatres across Asia later this month but not in China.
Despite of the best efforts of its stars and producers, the film won't open in China anytime soon.
"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," Variety quoted Smith, as saying.
"'I Am Legend,' as yet, has not been one of the films that has been accepted," he added.
The film has failed to secure a release date in the country because China, in order to the country's domestic film industry prevents the release of foreign films in the month of December.
The country's regulator has however denied such a practice takes place.
Smith, for his part, said he met with China Film Group's chairman, Han Sanping, to discuss a possible release date for 'I Am Legend.'
He also revealed that he had met with hyphenate Stephen Chow with a view to develop projects together. Films made with Chow's company would potentially qualify as Chinese co-productions and not be subject to the import restrictions imposed on other Hollywood movies.
ANI