China ejects 'Deadpool' from theaters over violence, nudity

BEIJING, Jan. 18 (UPI) -- China will not screen the highly anticipated Deadpool movie due to concerns over violence, nudity and graphic content.

Local news reports coming out of the country say China's censorship authorities have denied the R-rated flick permission to be shown in movie theaters as its Feb. 12 release nears.

Though China usually works with Hollywood to release "cleaned-up" versions of potentially offensive movies, much of Deadpool's content could not be removed without causing plot problems, The Hollywood Reporter says.

The news comes shortly after the "anti-superhero" movie starring Ryan Reynolds in the title role received a hard R-rating from the Motion Picture Association of America over its violence, sexual content and graphic nudity.

Directed by Tim Miller, the film will not shy away from the "obscene" nature of the Marvel comics. The film also co-stars T.J. Miller, Morena Baccarin and Brianna Hildebrand.