A screening of the Batman film The Dark Knight in Hong Kong was canceled after government censors stepped in, organizers said on Friday, while denying the cancellation was political.

The 2008 action blockbuster, parts of which were filmed in Hong Kong, was due to open at an outdoor cinema on October 27 but has since been replaced by Iron Man, according to the promoter’s website.

The change came after a recommendation from the city’s Office of Film, Newspaper and Article Administration (OFNAA) — a body that reviews films and was given greater censorship powers last year.

OFNAA felt the level of violence was not appropriate for an outdoor performance,” a spokesman for promoter The Grounds told AFP, saying the decision was “not unusual” and part of the licensing process.

The film’s plot follows a Chinese accountant working on behalf of Gotham’s criminal gangs who flees to Hong Kong, believing that “the Chinese will not turn over any of theirs”.

It was the top-grossing film of 2008 in Hong Kong.

But Warner Bros decided not to apply for permission to screen The Dark Knight in mainland China due to “cultural sensitivities,” Variety reported at the time. China strictly controls which foreign films are allowed to be shown.

Other films rated by OFNAA with the same classification as The Dark Knight have not been removed from the outdoor screenings calendar.

Two other Batman films from Nolan’s trilogy have been given clearance to screen because they are “much less violent,” the spokesman for The Grounds said.

OFNAA declined to comment.

The intervention comes two days after city leader John Lee, a former security chief, said his government wanted to tell “good stories” about Hong Kong as it announced new funding for arts and culture.

But the city’s outspoken vibe, once prized by artists, has been curtailed drastically over the past three years as China cracks down on dissent following protests against mass democracy.