Jackie Chan, world-renowned for his martial arts action pictures, took a dramatic role in the upcoming Shinjuku Incident and now that performance may not even be seen in mainland China, the target market for the film. China, which does not have a film ratings system, requires that all films be suitable for all audiences. The $25M Chinese-language film reportedly contains scenes of graphic violence, including stabbings and dismemberment.
Derek Yee, director of the film, has praised Chan’s work on the film, and argued that the dramatic turn is a good move for Chan: "People are too familiar with the image of a fighting Jackie Chan. It’s time for him to move on to drama."
Recently, Yee said that he contemplated toning down the violence of the film so that it could pass the Chinese censors, but couldn’t make the necessary changes without damaging the integrity of the picture: " We tried to cut the violent scenes to meet the requirements of the Chinese market, but producers I invited to watch that version thought it was incomplete."
Chan, who personally invested in the film, apparently agreed with Yee’s decision not to censor the film.
Shinjuku Incident will debut in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia on April 2 and will be released in Japan on May 1. It is unclear whether the film will make it to the U.S.
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