Zhang Ziyi and Gong Li's Hollywood movie Memoirs of a Geisha is set to be released in the United States in December, but the screen date on the Chinese mainland remains undecided.

Information from the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) on Sunday said the release on the mainland might be postponed from January 9 to Febuary10, depending on whether a sex scene can be cut in time.

The planned mainland opening in Beijing on January 9 is now moved to Hong Kong.

Columbia Pictures' China distributors consider February a good time for the opening of Geisha on the mainland.

The film is expected to get large exposure during the Academy Award presentations in the United States in January.

"This would greatly help to warm up the mainland market," said Zhang Mao, a district distribution manager for Columbia Pictures in China.

The Beijing opening will include leading actresses Zhang and Gong along with Michelle Yeoh, as well as prominent Chinese directors Zhang Yimou and Feng Xiaogang.

Since the film is in English, Zhang and Gong will probably do their own dubbing for the mandarin version.

The film is rated PG-13 in the United States.

(Shenzhen Daily November 28, 2005)