"Avatar" has been unceremoniously dumped by cinema chains in China to make way for a new film about philosopher Confucius. Avatar has become China's most successful movie ever, which has angered some officials, who believe that title should belong to a Chinese film.

And the Los Angeles Times reports James Cameron's award-winning blockbuster is being pulled from a large majority of theaters much sooner than expected at the request of the state-run movie distributor China Film Group.

They want to replace the film in over 1,600 screens with a much-anticipated biography of Confucius, starring Chow Yun Fat.

According to a report in the Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily, the move to pull "Avatar" from cinemas was made at the urging of propaganda officials who are concerned that the film is taking too much away from Chinese films.

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(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)