All Scenes Featuring Fan Bingbing Cut and Edited for “L.O.R.D 2”

By addy December 9, 2020

In 2016, Guo Jingming (郭敬明) released his computer-animated film L.O.R.D: Legend of Ravaging Dynasties <爵迹> to much fanfare and box office success. With Fan Bingbing (范冰冰), Kris Wu (吴亦凡), Chen Xuedong (陈学冬), and Lin Yun (林允) leading the cast, L.O.R.D follows the story of a team of soul masters who band together to protect their empire from falling to evil. L.O.R.D 2 <冷血狂宴> was announced soon after, and was slated to release in 2018—that is, until the Fan Bingbing tax evasion incident happened.

Detained and fined for tax evasion, Fan Bingbing’s lucrative film career was put to a stop. Chinese authorities ordered the industry to temporarily ban Bingbing from appearing in any entertainment-related media, and that included dramas and films she had already shot. L.O.R.D 2—originally scheduled for a 2018 release—was postponed to 2020. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the film was rescheduled for an online release on December 4, 2020.

Fans immediately noticed the impact of Bingbing’s scandal. In order for the film to be released, Guo and his team had no choice but to complete revamp Bingbing’s character. Her CG image was completely changed. Bingbing was also not credited nor billed on the film’s promotional releases.

It’s still a mystery on how long this soft ban on Bingbing would last, but the actress will still appear as scheduled, with no cuts and edits, in her upcoming Hollywood film The 355.