‘What message does it send that Maverick, an American icon, is apparently afraid of the Chinese communists?’
(Claire Russel, Liberty Headlines) Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, wants federal agencies to stop working with Hollywood productions until Hollywood agrees to stop carrying water for China’s communist regime.
Cruz introduced his bill, called the SCRIPT Act, on Thursday. The bill would prevent federal agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Defense and NASA, from aiding Hollywood studios that allow the Chinese government to submit edits—a common practice among major studios that want to market their films to the Chinese audience.
Sen. @tedcruz introduces SCRIPT Act: “In ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ the Chinese Communist Party edited out references to the fact that Freddie Mercury was gay. In ‘Dr. Strange,’ they changed the Ancient One’s character from Tibetan, as portrayed in the comic book, to Celtic.” pic.twitter.com/JhdIVNdHZY
— The Hill (@thehill) May 21, 2020
Cruz cited the example of actor Tom Cruise’s character in the upcoming movie Top Gun: Maverick. The character’s jacket was missing Japanese and Taiwanese flags in promotional images and trailers, which critics have said was done to please Chinese censors.
“What message does it send that Maverick, an American icon, is apparently afraid of the Chinese communists?” Cruz said during a speech on the Senate floor “That’s ridiculous.”
Cruz also highlighted films such as Skyfall, Doctor Strange and Bohemian Rhapsody.
We need to be “vigilant about the Chinese government’s attempts to censor and silence elsewhere, including in our own nation,” Cruz said, adding that the SCRIPT Act should be a “wake up call” for Hollywood.
Filmmakers often work with federal agencies in order to accurately portray things like government logos, federal buildings, aircraft carriers, and various interactions.