Seems the Chinese are going to stop taking over the world for a few days and enjoy some American entertainment! Chinese censors have cleared "Casino Royale" to be shown in the country without asking for any changes, a movie executive said Friday. "The film has been approved and no cuts or changes have been requested," Li Chow, general manager at Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International and Sony Pictures Entertainment, said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "Casino Royale," starring Daniel Craig as suave British spy James Bond, will open in China on Jan. 30, Li said. China usually only imports 20 foreign films a year and censors them carefully. "Memoirs of a Geisha," which starred Chinese actresses Zhang Ziyi and Gong Li as Japanese geisha escorts, wasn't shown in China amid speculation of concerns that it might fan anti-Japanese sentiment.
There were also concerns about scenes set in Shanghai showing tattered underwear hanging from laundry lines in "Mission: Impossible III," starring Tom Cruise. Chinese censors eventually approved the movie. The Hollywood trade magazine Variety reported earlier this week that "Casino Royale" is the first Bond movie to screen in China, although pirated copies of past installments are available in the country. "Casino Royale" opened Friday in the United States.
Unrelated News: I have been made aware that Danial Craig (James Bond) has his birthday suit flashed all over the web, as early as February 2006. No, it was not a publicity stunt or lack of discretion. Apparently he is not ashamed of his secret weapon or true identity. Everyone in the office plans to see him in action at the movies this long weekend.
