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Authorities in China claim the hit animation would not do well there and refused it one of the 34 allocated slots for foreign films
Chinese authorities have denied instituting a ban on the popular animated sequel Despicable Me 2, despite the surprising failure of the box office smash to debut on local screens.
Sources close to the official body which approves licences for non-Chinese films told the Hollywood Reporter the Steve Carell-starring supervillain caper had simply never been presented for release. China recently increased the number of foreign films which are allowed to screen each year from around 20 to 34, a figure which allows most Hollywood tentpole movies to debut.
Chinese authorities are said to be "furious" at some of the more ridiculous rumours that have emerged with regard to Despicable Me 2's failure to receive a licence. These include suggestions that the Universal animation fell foul of officials who felt the movie's cute and diminutive Minion sidekicks bore an unfortunate likeness to erstwhile Chinese leader Jiang Zemin. The original Despicable Me also failed to achieve a Chinese release in 2010.
A source at the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television told the Hollywood Reporter the local agent Edko (Beijing) Films had simply decided that the movie would not fare well in China, and had therefore refused it one of the coveted quota spots.
Despicable Me 2 has been one of the year's biggest animation hits, taking $713m (£464.2m) worldwide so far. Featuring voice work from Kristen Wiig and Steve Coogan alongside Carell, it sees reformed bad guy Gru recruited by the Anti-Villain League to help tackle a new threat.
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