"Sony Pictures has confirmed that, in what is likely to be considered a very controversial move, the Chinese government notified them that a planned Feb. 9 release of 'Memoirs of a Geisha' has been canceled. The New York Times reported today that Chinese State Administration of Radio, Film and Television reportedly gave no explanation for cancelation, but numerous earlier reports suggest that authorities were anxious of anti-Japanese reaction to the movie and possible protests over some of China's top actresses playing Japanese women.

A large-scale promotional campaign was already under way in magazines for the scheduled February 19 release, but Shanghai Film Studios said last week that it had stopped all dubbing work on the film.

Sony spokesman Jim Kennedy told the Times. ""We were pleased by their acceptance of the film in November, and we're disappointed by this decision.""

It is also worth noting, that various reports indicate that the movie is widely available in China on bootleg DVDs.

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