China has halted the release of Quentin Tarantino’s new film ‘Once upon a Time in Hollywood’ after Bruce Lee’s daughter complained about the movie’s portrayal of her father, according to sources.
Shannon Lee is said to have made a personal appeal to Beijing’s censors, requesting scenes involving her father be edited in the star-studded flick featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie.
The 50-year-old previously said it was ‘disheartening’ for her to see the film presenting her father as ‘an arrogant a**hole’.
Chinese authorities have called off the release of Quentin Tarantino’s new film ‘Once upon a Time in Hollywood’ over scenes involving Bruce Lee (pictured), according to sources
Bruce Lee’s daughter Shannon Lee (right) is said to have made a personal appeal to Beijing’s censors for the film to be altered, according to a report. She previously said it was ‘disheartening’ to see Tarantino’s interpretation of her father, which she said was a ‘mockery’
Bruce Lee, who was born in San Francisco, was one of the most recognisable Asian-American actors. He is seen fighting in martial arts film Enter The Dragon, which was released in 1973
The film’s Chinese distributor Bona Film Group, which has also invested in the production, is reportedly working with Tarantino to make changes to the film in a bid to salvage the situation.
‘Once upon a Time in Hollywood’ is Tarantino’s ninth film.
Set in Los Angeles in 1969, the story follows faded TV star Rick Dalton (played by Leonardo DiCaprio), and his stunt double Cliff Booth (played by Brad Pitt) as they pursue fame and success in the final years of Hollywood’s Golden Age.
The comedy-drama premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May and had been schedule to release in China on October 25.
The plan has been put on hold indefinitely after Shannon contacted China’s National Film Administration directly, reported The Hollywood Reporter citing sources.
‘It was really uncomfortable to sit in the theater and listen to people laugh at my father,’ Shannon said, adding her father was depicted as ‘an arrogant a**hole who was full of hot air’
‘Once upon a Time in Hollywood’ had been slated to hit the screen on October 25, but its Chinese distributor is now working with Tarantino to change the scenes depicting Bruce Lee
Shannon has publicly spoken against the movie’s presentation of the late martial arts legend who died in 1973 at the age of 32.
She said in July it was ‘disheartening’ to see what she billed as the ‘mockery’ the $90 million (£70 million) film made out of her father.
She said her father, played by Korean-American actor Mike Moh, was depicted in the film as ‘an arrogant a**hole who was full of hot air’.
When Bruce Lee died in 1973 aged 32, his second child Shannon was only four years old
The character of Bruce Lee is one of the many bygone Hollywood stars featured in the film which is set in Los Angeles in 1969. It is starred by Korean-American actor Mike Moh (right)
‘I understand they want to make the Brad Pitt character this super bada** who could beat up Bruce Lee. But they didn’t need to treat him in the way that white Hollywood did when he was alive,’ she told entertainment news site The Wrap.
‘It was really uncomfortable to sit in the theater and listen to people laugh at my father,’ added Shannon who was four when her father died.
Speaking to Good Morning Britain, Shannon said: ‘For a lot of people, this is going to be their first introduction to Bruce Lee, in particular younger generations.
The story follows TV star Rick Dalton (played by Leonardo DiCaprio), and his stunt double Cliff Booth (played by Brad Pitt) as they pursue fame in the final years of Hollywood’s Golden Age
‘And they are going to think this is what he is, that he was this arrogant guy who liked to challenge people, and nothing could be further from the truth.’
Tarantino defended his interpretation of Bruce Lee while promoting his film in Russia in summer.
‘Bruce Lee was kind of an arrogant guy,’ Tarantino was quoted saying by ET.
‘The way he was talking, I didn’t just make a lot of that up,’ the writer-director hit back.
MailOnline has reached out to Bona Film Group and Sony Pictures, the film’s international distributor, for comment.