Photo: VCG

 

Universal Pictures said on Tuesday afternoon that it has decided to cancel an event for the release of the company's film Fast & Furious 9 in China, citing security risks after receiving threats over the event. But the film will hit Chinese mainland screens on Friday as scheduled, the company said.

In a statement posted on the company's official Sina Weibo account, Universal Pictures said that it has received threats that an event for the film's release would not be able to take place normally, creating a certain degree of security risks.

"After careful consideration, Universal Pictures has no choice but canceling the release event for the Fast & Furious 9 in China," said the statement in Chinese, adding that the company has reported information to relevant law enforcement authorities.

The statement did not provide further details about the threats the company received.   

Industry news outlet mtime.com reported that the event was originally scheduled to take place in Shanghai on Tuesday.

A source told the Global Times that local police were also learning more about details as why the event was canceled.

The source said that the organizer did not report the event to the police in advance, because it was not necessary due to the small number of people expected to attend. The event was arranged for the media to screen the film in advance and even stars of the movie weren't scheduled to show up on site.

Fast and Furious 9 is making a big bet on the world's largest film market, as the film is heading to the Chinese mainland on May 21, more than one month earlier than its scheduled North American release on June 25.  

 IMAX China announced Tuesday that presale box office for the film has reached 11.7 million yuan ($1.82 million) in the Chinese market, setting a new record for presale box office for Hollywood films since the reopening of movie theaters after the COVID-19.