Hollywood star Keanu Reeves recently had his movies removed from Chinese streaming platforms. The movies were taken down after Reeves appeared in a “pro-Tibet” online concert created by a non-profit organization.
Shortly after the release of “The Matrix Resurrections”, Keanu Reeves appeared as a performer in the 35th annual Tibet House Benefit Concert. The concert was organized by “Tibet House”, a nonprofit organization founded by supporters of the Dalai Lama. Reeves attended the virtual concert that was held on March 3 alongside Patti Smith, Cyndi Lauper, Laurie Anderson, and Iggy Pop.
Chinese streaming platforms, including the giant corporations “Tencent Video” and “iQiyi”, removed several movies in which the actor was cast. Among the movies taken down were “The Matrix” trilogy, the “John Wick” trilogy, “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure”, “The Lake House”, and “Speed”.
The Chinese government labeled the non-profit organization “Tibet House” as “a separatist organization advocating for Tibetan independence,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The Tibet Autonomous Region is an autonomous region of China, and the Chinese government does not recognize Tibet as an independent nation.
It is still unclear if the movies were taken down by order of the Chinese government or not.
However, that would not be the first time. Recently, Tencent Video made headlines after they censored the end of the movie “Fight Club”.
Ever since April of 2018, every western movie that enters the country has to be reviewed by the China Film Administration, a public department under the Chinese Communist Party that dictates if a film is approved or not.
Recently, huge blockbusters like “Deadpool”, “Suicide Squad” and “Joker” were all banned from airing in China.
While Reeves is not officially banned from the country, other celebrities have been prohibited from entering the country in the past.
After his role in “Seven Years in Tibet” in 1997, Brad Pitt was banned from entering the country. Other celebrities were also banned for their “pro-Tibet” stance including Selena Gomez, Richard Gere, and Harrison Ford.
As of right now, Reeves has not issued an official statement on the subject.