China Delays Release of "M:I3"

The Great Wall is proving an impediment to a day-and-date release of "Mission: Impossible III" across all of Asia, Variety reported.

Senior Chinese government officials are concerned about how the film portrays their country and are reviewing it carefully, at many levels of government. That means, the film can - at best - hope for a mid-July premiere in China. It is slated to premiere in the rest of Asia and most other international venues this week.

With digital piracy rampant in China, the box office is expected to have eroded by the time the film is released.

Further delays are an especially bitter setback for "M:I3," which, given the extensive Chinese involvement during production (on location filming, co-production credits, and script approval), had been expected to be a big performer in China. Industry sources say the 10-week delay could cost it 30%-40% of its mainland gross.

Local sources are speculating that the government is extra sensitive to how its security is portrayed leading up to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

The completed picture has been screened several times for different levels of administration. It is likely that politicians at the ministerial level will view it again and rule on its import license or possible cuts to the print that shows in China.

Directed by J.J. Abrams and starring Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ving Rhames, Laurence Fishburne, Billy Crudup, Michelle Monaghan, and Keri Russell, "M:I3" hits U.S. and many international theaters this Friday. -- Shannon Nolley

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