Report: Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood Release Canceled in China After Bruce Lee Drama

Update (October 18, 4:50 p.m.): A source tells THR that Quentin Tarantino will not tweak the film in order to get a release in China.

The original post continues below.

Quentin Tarantino’s films have never had a theatrical release in China since the bungled rollout for Django Unchained, but that was all set to change with Once Upon a Time in…Hollywood. His latest film, which hit theaters in the U.S. in July, was slated to hit theaters in China on October 25, likely juicing the blockbuster’s current global haul of $366 million. However, according to the Hollywood Reporter, those plans have just been put on hold indefinitely, and it might be because of the Bruce Lee scandal that followed the film’s release.

Once Upon a Time is Tarantino’s ode to Hollywood in the summer of 1969, and revolves around a fading star (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt double, Cliff (Brad Pitt). In one scene, Cliff is seen on a film set listening to Bruce Lee (played by Mike Moh) deliver a lengthy, boastful monologue about how much better of a fighter he is than Muhammad Ali. After Cliff scoffs at him, the pair have a best-out-of-three match that Cliff almost wins, portraying him as a nearly better fighter than the martial arts icon.

After its release, the late Lee’s daughter, Shannon Lee, made it known that she thought the film mischaracterized her father.

“For me, there was a lot wrong” with the scene, Shannon told Vanity Fair in August. “I think part of what is so troubling to me is that it places a lot of responsibility on the audience to interpret what’s factual and what’s not factual.”

When Tarantino defended his portrayal of Lee by saying the martial arts legend was “kind of an arrogant guy,” Lee responded in another interview by telling him, in no uncertain terms, to stop talking. “He could shut up about it,” she told Variety. “That would be really nice. Or he could apologize or he could say, ‘I don’t really know what Bruce Lee was like.’”

Now, according to THR, the Lee debacle may have been part of what led to the film’s cancellation. Sources told the outlet that Shannon Lee made a direct appeal herself to Chinese regulators, asking that the characterization of her father be altered for Chinese release. Lee has not publicly commented on the alleged letter. Reps for Sony have not yet responded to Vanity Fair’s request for comment.