The film will open Oct. 28, the same day it opens everywhere else in the world.

One of the main difficulties the movie had to overcome other than possible censorship is the fact that there are a limited number of slots for imported Western films.

China allows only 20 per year to be released on a revenue-sharing basis.

These releases are invariably popular.

A representative of Sony Pictures said the government wants to secure as wide a release as possible for the film because of Jackson’s big fan base in China.

Basically, it depends on how many prints local film labs can produce.