Hollywood film “Spider-Man 3: No Way Home” broke through the box office bottleneck brought by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, becoming one of the highest-grossing films in history. However, it was not released in Chinese theaters. Five years later, the reasons why this film could not be released in mainland China have finally come to light.
Sony Pictures CEO Tom Rothman recently revealed on the “The Town” podcast hosted by Matthew Belloni that Chinese regulatory authorities demanded the producers remove several scenes featuring the Statue of Liberty, which is a crucial part of the film. He would have to explain to the domestic US audience if he agreed to the Chinese request.
In December 2021, Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures collaborated to create the most successful Spider-Man film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) history – “No Way Home”.
Starring Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire, the film received rave reviews from critics and fans for their outstanding performances.
As the third installment of Holland’s portrayal of the protagonist Peter Parker, “No Way Home” grossed over $1.9 billion worldwide, ranking third in the MCU box office and eighth in the all-time box office rankings. Since 2020, only eight films have surpassed the $1 billion mark at the box office.
It is incredible that “No Way Home” achieved such success despite the pandemic restrictions, without relying on a release in Chinese theaters. Hollywood had previously believed that Chinese theaters were a key factor in the success of blockbuster films.
“In my view, the box office would definitely exceed $2 billion because I know how it performs in China. They said, ‘Just remove the Statue of Liberty,’ that was the demand…” Rothman said.
Rothman added that the Chinese film regulatory body told them, “It’s a small matter, no big deal, just remove the Statue of Liberty – which is the climax of the film.”
Rothman uncommonly refused the Chinese request, missing the opportunity to boost the film’s final box office revenue. He told Belloni that he “knew” if the film was released in China, the box office would have significantly increased, but he had his own concerns.
“I really don’t want to sit in front of Congress and explain why I agreed to the Chinese Communist Party’s demand to remove the Statue of Liberty,” Rothman said.
Ironically, when discussing whether the Statue of Liberty would appear in the fourth Spider-Man film “Spider-Man 4: A New Day,” Rothman gave a negative answer, stating that the Statue of Liberty would not appear in the new film scheduled for release in July this year.
The story of “A New Day” is still set in New York City, but this time, the Statue of Liberty – as well as elements honoring Captain America – are absent, and whether the film will be released in China remains a mystery.