American filmmakers have also begun to abide by China’s cultural agenda, citing James Cameron’s endorsement of Chinese censorship when Titanic 3D premiered in Beijing in April, Currie said.

“I’m not interested in their reality. My reality is that I’ve made two films in the last 15 years that both have been resounding successes here, and this is an important market for me,” the Academy Award-winning director told the New Yorker. “And so I’m going to do what’s necessary to continue having this be an important market for my films.”…

The film industry is especially susceptible to angering authorities when compared with other Chinese interests, such as manufacturing and natural gas, according to Currie.

“This is going to lead to changes in the values of producers and the movie industry that is tantamount to censorship,” she said. “If you have one of the largest movie distributors in the U.S. under Chinese control, and you are driven by recouping the cost of making movies, you need to make sure whatever you’re making doesn’t offend the Chinese.”