BEIJING, Jan. 16 -- Hollywood movie "Memoirs of a Geisha" opened elsewhere in Asia on Jan. 12. Reportedly, Feb. 10 is the opening day on the Chinese mainland, but some media say the date remains undecided.

    Some domestic media said the movie is not included on the China Film Group Corp.'s (CFGC) movie list for February, indicating the opening date for "Geisha" might be postponed.

    According to the Chinese Business View, Weng Li, the distribution manager of the CFGC, told the paper that he had not received any information about the release date for "Geisha." "The Transporter 2," starring Jason Statham and Matt Schulze, will definitely be screened during the mid-February Valentine's Day period, according to Weng.

    Zhang Wei, an official in charge of the Shenzhen screening, told the Shenzhen Economic Daily he had gotten the unsourced news that "Geisha" might not be screened in February because the movie was not approved by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT).

    The newspaper said the opening of "Geisha" is not scheduled by the CFGC even for March, quoting CFGC sources. Some exhibitors are now afraid the theatrical screenings will do poorly if the opening date on the mainland is delayed because pirated DVD copies of "Geisha" are already on sale on the mainland and can also be downloaded from the Internet.

    Moreover, the North American box-office returns are not as large as anticipated, seriously affecting mainland exhibitors' expectations.

    Officials with the SARFT had no comment on the release date of "Geisha," leaving big screen fans in the dark.

(Source: Shenzhen Daily)