Thanks to the well publicized negative reviews, this has not been a good week for Warner Bros. and their latest DC Comics adaptation Suicide Squad. Now, the studio has been dealt another blow due to the fact that the PG-13 blockbuster probably won’t be granted a release in China.
The Hollywood Reporter reveals that sources close to the very strict decision making process believe it being released there is unlikely, and that’s definitely going to be felt at the box office. Fans in the country hoped that Suicide Squad might avoid the same fate as Deadpool due to it not being R-Rated, but not even a name change (Special Task Force X) has helped.
The story, tone, and violence are all likely among the reasons why Suicide Squad won’t reach Chinese theaters, but why does it matter? Well, China is now the #2 market in the world, and the likes of Pacific Rim and Warcraft have benefited massively from being box office hits there.
Deadpool was obviously still a success without China and Suicide Squad could be too, but this still isn’t good news for Warner Bros. (especially amid reports of behind the scenes issues and expensive reshoots). The studio has got to be hoping that the movie breaks the records that many analysts have predicted it will at the North American box office this weekend, but even if it does, chances are that those reviews could result in Suicide Squad suffering a second week drop like we saw with Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice back in March.
