The Weinstein Company’s “Shanghai” has been forced to relocate to Thailand and England following its forced exit from China reports Variety.
The was in pre-production in China last month when it was denied the shooting permit it expected to receive. As a result, nearly $3 million in sets have effectively gone to waste.
Weinstein says “The (Chinese authorities’) decision has everything to do with not liking the script, especially elements about (Chinese-Japanese) collaboration.”
Set in 1940s Japanese-occupied Shanghai, the story involves an American (John Cusack) who stumbles across government secrets while investigating the death of his friend. Chow Yun-fat, Gong Li and Ken Watanabe also star.
Swedish helmer Mikael Hafstrom directs the project from a screenplay by Hossein Amini.
