Celebrities with criminal records, especially involving drug abuse or prostitution, or those who are deemed to have a bad image should be banned from starring in movies momentarily or permanently by China's first film law, several legislators suggested Wednesday.
During the review for the draft law, several members of the standing committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) suggested clauses be added to the film law to ban celebrities who have violated laws or caused a "negative social impact" from starring in movies for a certain period of time as punishment, The Beijing News reported Thursday.
Ren Maodong, an NPC deputy, said that the actions of popular celebrities affect social morality.
"Those with notorious records, especially involving crime, should be banned from starring in movies for a time. Those who refuse to rectify should be banned forever," Ren said.
The draft law aiming to regulate film-making in China was put before China's top legislature in October.
The police have detained a string of celebrities, including movie and TV stars and film directors on drug and prostitution charges, including Jaycee Chan, son of Chinese kung fu star Jackie Chan, who was formally arrested in Beijing in September last year following a drug bust in his residence in Beijing on August 14.
China's media watchdog also issued a notice requiring TV companies and cinemas to suspend broadcasting programs and films that depict celebrities who have been charged with drug offenses and prostitution.
The draft film law also includes articles that will levy fines of up to 500,000 yuan on theaters which report untrue box office figures, and the screenplays of "normal types" of movies will not need to be approved by the authorities before being shot.
