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 theatres 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.
Despite this news it's been a great week for James Cameron's sci-fi epic with the movie taking Best Picture and Best Director at the Golden Globes.
The movie is currently the second biggest grossing movie of all time, breaking through the $1 billion in just seventeen days.
And having tasted award success at the Globe Avatar is the favourite to feature amongst the Oscar nominations which will bee announced in the beginning of next month.
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