Controversial cult film Fight Club is now streaming in China, but in a censored version with a wildly different ending to the 1999 original.
Instead of a series of bombs going off and destroying buildings containing credit card records in an attempt to reorder society, the edited Chinese version cuts to a black screen with a printed message.
"Through a clue provided by Tyler, the police rapidly figured out the whole plan and arrested all criminals, successfully preventing the bomb from exploding," it reads.
"After the trial, Tyler was sent to a lunatic asylum receiving psychological treatment. He was discharged from the hospital in 2012."
David Fincher's film and the Chuck Palahniuk novel it was based on were infamous for their graphic depictions of violence and anarchist, anti-capitalist message.
The irony of the new Chinese version has not been lost on the film's creators.
"This is SUPER wonderful! Everyone gets a happy ending in China!" Palahniuk said sarcastically on Twitter.
On his Substack he added: "Tyler and the gang were all arrested. He was tried and sentenced to a mental asylum. How amazing. I'd no idea! Justice always wins. Nothing ever exploded. Fini."
Human Rights Watch labelled the move "dystopian" in a tweet which also paraphrased a famous Fight Club quote: "The first rule of Fight Club in China? Don't mention the original ending. The second rule of Fight Club in China? Change it so the police win."
Other social media users reacting to the censorship are offering other examples of similar editing of films for Chinese release, such as Lord of War, which also depicts the main character being arrested rather than evading justice.
The censored version of Fight Club is available in China via streaming service Tencent Video.
