China has apparently decided to extend its "Local Film Protection Month" inwhich all foreign films are barred in order to encourage moviegoers topatronize theaters showing Chinese films. Originally, only the month of Julywas to have been affected; now, according to reports, August will be aswell. The decision has apparently touched off an online rebellion of sorts.The British trade publication Screen noted that some Chinesemoviegoers are threatening to boycott Chinese films as a result of theprotective police. On one site, Weibo, a writer threatened to "lie in myhome the whole of August. Another commented, "It will be the loss of movietheaters. They will let the golden movie season become trash season."Extending the protection period could particularly harm The Dark KnightRises , which had originally been set to open in late August but is nowlisted as "release date to be confirmed" by the China Film Stellar theaterchain.

20/07/2012