WILL SMITH's new movie I AM LEGEND has suffered a major box office setback in the Far East - Chinese film bosses have banned it from their cinemas.

The Hollywood actor has been campaigning to secure a release for I Am Legend, but China is stubbornly sticking to its policy of capping the influx of Hollywood movies - part of a drive to boost the country's film industry.
The delay comes amid reports China has issued a three-month ban on all American films.

Smith says, "We struggled very, very hard to try to get it to work out, but there are only a certain amount of foreign films that are allowed in." However, the Oscar-winning actor hasn't given up hope of agreeing a release date - he's currently working on a deal with China Film Group's chairman Han Sanping.
In the past, Chinese regulators have issued bans on foreign films during holidays and school breaks, when audiences are biggest.