Twentieth Century Fox
China’s state-run movie distributor has pulled Avatar from more than 1,500 of its movie theaters, the Los Angeles Times reports. All 2-D versions are being replaced by a biography of Confucius, and there is no clear reason why. A Hong Kong newspaper reports that the switch may have been made because of government concern over Avatar’s monopoly in the market at the expense of Chinese films—and that the movie condemns forced evictions too obviously for an audience familiar with China’s past of relocating millions of citizens. Though Avatar has grossed $76 million at the Chinese box office—with $49 million coming from 3-D screenings—the government will reportedly only pull the 2-D movie. The film won Best Picture, and James Cameron scored Best Director, at last weekend’s Golden Globes.