Why did China decide to ban all Keanu Reeves movies?
Keanu Reeves and his films can no longer be found online in China if his name is searched.
The actor’s films, including the John Wick and The Matrix franchises, were removed from Chinese streaming platforms following his participation earlier this month in a charity concert for Tibet House, a Dalai Lama-affiliated non-profit organization that supports promoting and supporting Tibetan culture.
China annexed Tibet in 1950, leading to the persecution of the Dalai Lama. Reeves’ support for the cultural organization, founded in 1987 at the request of Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama, has sparked outrage and anger among the Chinese.
Social media users called on everyone to boycott Reeves after the news of his support for the concert was announced. Last Monday, streaming platforms Tennessee Video and IQ removed the Canadian actor’s content, and a search for his name in Chinese returned no results.
“Due to relevant laws, regulations and policies, some results have not been shown,” IQUI said.
19 movies removed from the platform
At least 19 Reeves films have been removed from the Tennessee Video platform, leaving only Toy Story 4. Only Chinese sync performers are listed as voices in the cartoon, not Reeves.
However, it remains unclear whether regulators have ordered the platforms to remove the films.
China rejects Tibet’s claims of independence and recognizes the current Pan-Lama, who has been named the highest religious figure in Tibet by the Communist Party.
Reeves previously had good relations with China. The Matrix Resurrection was the first Hollywood blockbuster to hit the country after a two-month hiatus. His 2013 film “Tai Chi Man” was co-produced by the United States and China, and the actor spoke publicly about his “love” of Chinese heritage.
Keanu Reeves is not the first actor to face negative public reactions in China. In May last year, John Cena released a video in which he apologized in Mandarin (apparently bad) after talking about Taiwan as a country while on a promotional tour for F9.
– I am very sorry for the mistake. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m very sorry. “You have to understand that I love and respect China,” he said.
