Pig character from "Monkey King 2" removed from billboard
The pig demon Zhu Bajie is missing from the billboard in Malaysia. (Photo Source: Malaysia Kini) |
4 Jan – The upcoming Hong Kong action fantasy film "The Monkey King 2" which is based on the classic novel "Journey to the West" has one of its major characters, Zhu Bajie removed from a Malaysian promotional billboard at Jalan Loke Yew, Kuala Lumpur.
Zhu Bajie is part human and part pig and is one of the three disciples of monk Tang Sanzang who helped him acquire the sacred sutras at the Western Regions alongside Monkey King Sun Wukong and Sha Wujing.
The film will be released in Malaysia on 4 February 2016 but the incomplete poster of the movie has generated dissatisfaction and anger among netizens who deemed the removal of the character as stupid and unnecessary.
The original poster from Hong Kong has Zhu Bajie placed on the rightmost side of the poster, but for the Malaysian billboard, the character is replaced by the film's title.
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Zhu Bajie was equally absent from the posters of official websites of local cinema chains like Golden Screen Cinemas and TGV Cinemas.
According to Malaysia Kini, Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed told the news site that the censorship board will make a decision "in the best interest of the country not the movie producer".
"I think it must be because the movie did not follow the guidelines of the censorship board," Nur Jazlan said. "Anyway it is too trivial an issue to comment on."
The film follows Sun Wukong, also known as the Monkey King, as he battles the Skeleton Demon named Baigujing who kidnaps Tang Sanzang in order to eat him.
"The Monkey King 2" directed by Cheang Pou-soi features Aaron Kwok as the titular character, Gong Li as the antagonist, Feng Shaofeng as the monk Tang Sanzang, Him Law as Sha Wujing and Xiaoshenyang as Zhu Bajie.
(Photo source: malaysiakini.com)
