The 2022 Incident That Erased Keanu Reeves’ Films from China

Keanu Reeves has spent decades establishing himself as one of Hollywood’s most cherished leading men, admired for his warmth and humility. This goodwill extends beyond American borders, with Reeves enjoying immense popularity across Asia due to franchises like ‘The Matrix’ and ‘John Wick.’

However, this popularity made the events of early 2022 particularly shocking for fans. Just as one of his major franchise installments was set to debut in Chinese theaters, Reeves found himself at the center of a sudden backlash that would lead to the removal of much of his filmography from the country’s streaming services.

The controversy ignited when Reeves was announced as a performer for the 35th annual Tibet House Benefit Concert, a virtual event held on March 3, 2022, organized by a New York-based nonprofit associated with the Dalai Lama. He joined a lineup that featured Patti Smith, Laurie Anderson, Cyndi Lauper, and Iggy Pop, with composer Philip Glass serving as the artistic director.

The timing was particularly sensitive. News of Reeves’ participation broke just as ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ was premiering in Chinese theaters, prompting Chinese nationalists to call for a boycott of the film, interpreting his involvement in a pro-Tibet event as a political statement.

Within weeks, the backlash intensified. According to the Los Angeles Times, major Chinese streaming platforms such as Tencent Video, iQiyi, Youku, Migu Video, Bilibili, and Xigua Video began removing the majority of Reeves’ films from their libraries, with at least 19 titles taken down from Tencent Video alone.

The purge affected not only his recent works but also included the entire original ‘Matrix’ trilogy, ‘Speed,’ ‘The Lake House,’ and ‘Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure,’ effectively erasing decades of his career from one of the world’s largest streaming markets almost overnight.

The censorship went beyond mere removals. Searches for Reeves’ name on iQiyi reportedly returned a message stating that no results could be found due to relevant laws and regulations, while his voice role in ‘Toy Story 4’ remained accessible but without his name in the credited cast.

Reuters confirmed this pattern, noting that acclaimed franchises like ‘The Matrix’ and ‘John Wick,’ along with ‘Speed,’ had all been removed, although the exact timing of each film’s disappearance was unclear. China has a long history of blacklisting celebrities who openly support Tibet or the Dalai Lama, reflecting the country’s firm stance against any claims of Tibetan independence.

The fallout also impacted Reeves’ presence on Chinese social media, where negative comments directed at him initially circulated on Weibo before being scrubbed, resulting in largely positive search results for his name by the time reporters checked.

More than four years later, this incident remains a striking example of how quickly geopolitical sensitivities can alter an actor’s visibility in a significant international market, regardless of their popularity elsewhere. For an actor as universally admired as Reeves, the swift and total removal of his works highlighted the lack of nuance in China’s approach to Tibet.

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