Many believe it relates to a string of protests against Xi Jinping
The new ‘Winnie the Pooh’ horror film has officially hit cinemas – but if you live in Hong Kong or Macau, sorry, unfortunately you won’t get a chance to see it.
Cinemas in these regions have refused to show the movie and, while the exact reason remains unclear, many believe it relates to a string of protests against Xi Jinping.
References to the original, family-friendly version of Winnie the Pooh have been used to protest against the Chinese president in recent years.
Censors in China have since clamped down on references to AA Milne’s character, and the 2018 Christopher Robin film was banned in the country.
Hong Kong authorities have denied the film had been censored, but the director told Reuters: “The cinemas agreed to show it, then all independently came to the same decision overnight. It [isn’t] a coincidence.”
The film has been shown in over 4,000 cinemas worldwide.
But perhaps it’s for the best it was banned in Hong Kong and Macau – the horror flick has received a score of just four per cent on film rating site Rotten Tomatoes.
It depicts Pooh bear, known for being kind and honest, as a vengeful axe wielding half-man, half-bear.
