Hong Kong cancels Winnie the Pooh

A "Winnie-the-Pooh" horror film has been pulled from cinemas in Hong Kong, probably because the chubby bear looks like China's portly president, Xi Jinping.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, a cut version of the low-budget viral hit had passed Hong Kong’s censors and was scheduled to run in 30 movie theaters this weekend.

The film's distributor, VII Pillars Entertainment, said Tuesday on social media that it was cancelling the film in Hong Kong and Macau. The post said: "It is with great regret to announce the scheduled release of Winnie-The-Pooh: Blood and Honey in Hong Kong and Macau on March 23 has been cancelled. We are sorry for the disappointment and inconvenience."

Winnie the Pooh has faced bans in China after the internet noted the Disney character’s strong resemblance to Chinese president Xi Jinping. The cartoon bear later became a symbol of resistance to China in Hong Kong.

Beijing has worked to destroy Hong Kong’s liberal institutions after promising to allow the city to maintain its economic and governing systems for 50 years, until 2047. The city’s censorship rules were amended in 2021 so films could be banned on “national security” grounds.

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