WB shrouds 'Dark Knight' from Chinese audiences

Last updated 12-31-08 at 12:21 p.m.

Image provided by Warner Bros.

HONG KONG (AP) — Just because Batman landed in Hong Kong doesn’t mean “The Dark Knight” will.

Warner Bros. decided not to release the film in China — or even submit it for censors’ approval — because of “prerelease conditions” and “cultural sensitivities,” the studio said Tuesday, Dec. 23.

Warner Bros. officials may have been concerned the film — particularly scenes shot in Hong Kong, where Batman nabs a gangster — would offend censors. Hong Kong is a Chinese-ruled former British colony that maintains separate political and economic systems.

Another possible sticking point is a brief appearance by Hong Kong actor-singer Edison Chen, who appeared in lurid photos with several women this year.

Bootleg copies have been available in Chinese markets for months.

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