The animated film Minions: The Rise Of Gru's ending has been rewritten by Chinese censors so that good prevails over evil, the latest instance of a Hollywood production being altered to convey a more agreeable societal message.
Supervillain Gru put up his life of crime and returned to the straight and narrow, with his greatest achievement being “father to his three daughters,” according to the “special edition” conclusion in the Chinese translation. That stands in stark contrast to the original, in which Steve Carell's portrayal of Gru rides off with accomplice Wild Knuckles after the latter faked his own death to escape custody.
Chinese social media users have criticised the alterations, with a hashtag referencing the new conclusion on Twitter-like Weibo receiving almost 1.7 million views. One user said, “The (modified) ending is very China.”
Requests for response were not immediately answered by the China Film Administration or the movie's distributor in China, Huaxia Film Distribution. It was impossible to get in touch with co-distributor China Film Co. right away for comment.
Fight Club's 1999 conclusion was replaced earlier this year with a succinct statement declaring that all offenders had been caught and that the government had won. Before the original climax, in which the nameless narrator kills off his alter ego Tyler Durden and then sets off a series of explosions that destroy all bank and credit records, was reinstated, that also caused a stir on social media.
With its plot centred on a battle for an ancient Chinese talisman that can call upon the superpowers of the Chinese zodiac, Rise Of Gru made an effort to appeal to a Chinese audience. The film also incorporates other Chinese aspects including jade pendants, Kungfu, and dragon dances.
China made the unusual statement this week that it wants American filmmakers to treat its culture with more respect after dismissing a number of American films. In contrast to the more than 50 titles that collectively accounted for nearly 32% of box office receipts in 2019, only 28 American films were released in China last year, representing just 12% of the whole market. by Bloomberg