• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey gets mysteriously pulled from cinemas in Hong Kong

Home> Film & TV

Published 22:13 21 Mar 2023 GMT

Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey gets mysteriously pulled from cinemas in Hong Kong

The slasher film was removed 30 Hong Kong cinemas, sparking speculation over censorship.

Charisa Bossinakis

Charisa Bossinakis

Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey has been swiftly removed from more than 30 Hong Kong cinemas, sparking speculation over censorship and political pressure from China.

The British slasher film, which follows the infamous bear on a murderous rampage, was quietly pulled from theaters.

But its distributors failed to explain why the screenings were cancelled.

ABC News reported that VII Pillars Entertainment said on its Facebook page that the release of Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey on Thursday had been canceled with ‘great regret’ in Hong Kong and Macao.

Advert

Jagged Edge Productions, ITN Studios and Altitude Film Distribution

However, Moviematic, which had organized the movie screenings, had reported on their social media account that it had been pulled due to ‘technical issues’, as per the outlet.

A spokesperson for Hong Kong’s Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administration (OFNAA) said Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey had been approved for release; however, the office could not say why the film was canceled.

“The arrangements of cinemas in Hong Kong on the screening of individual films with certificates of approval in their premises are the commercial decisions of the cinemas concerned, and OFNAA would not comment on such arrangements,” the spokesperson told Al Jazeera.

Advert

Many have speculated that censorship caused the film to be removed due to Winnie-the-Pooh’s likeness to President Xi Jinping.

PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo

The leader has been compared to the bumbling bear since 2013 when a photo of the Chinese president walking alongside President Obama resembled an image of Winnie and Tigger.

In 2014, another image of Xi went viral after he met with Japan’s Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe.

Advert

The photo was accompanied by Winnie (Xi) and an expressionless Eeyore resembling the former Japanese leader.

The Guardian reported that another comparison of Xi and Winnie was made the following year during a military parade celebrating its World War Two victory.

Ultimately it became the year’s most censored image, and, according to Global Risks Insight, the Chinese government views the constant memes of Xi and Winnie as a ‘serious effort to undermine the dignity’ of the president.

“Authoritarian regimes are often touchy, yet the backlash is confusing since the government is effectively squashing an potential positive, and organic, public image campaign for Xi,” Global Risks Insight writer Jeremy Luedi added.

Advert

In 2018, Chinese censors also prevented the release of Christopher Robin, a live-action film centering Robin, now an adult, who is granted a surprise visit from his old pal, Winnie.

Featured Image Credit: Altitude Film Distribution. ZUMA Press Inc / Alamy Stock Photo

Topics: News, Film and TV, World News, Politics, China

Charisa Bossinakis
Charisa Bossinakis

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

3 hours ago
8 hours ago
15 hours ago
19 hours ago
  • 3 hours ago

    Netflix fans given weeks to watch 16 seasons of 'addictive' drama before it's removed for good

    Viewers are begging for the series to stay

    Film & TV
  • 8 hours ago

    Legendary actor Michael Madsen has died aged 67

    Madsen was best known for his roles in Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill

    Film & TV
  • 15 hours ago

    Netflix viewers rave over forgotten series compared to Black Mirror

    There's been high praise for the Netflix series that first dropped on the streaming platform in 2019

    Film & TV
  • 19 hours ago

    Amazon Prime Video shines light on Idaho murders as friends who discovered bodies speak out

    A new docuseries is coming to Amazon Prime Video, focusing on the grisly murder of four students in their home

    Film & TV
  • Hong Kong Postal Service stops services to the US and issues scathing message to Trump amid tariff war
  • Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey director wants to make Teletubbies horror movie
  • China and USA's rare earth mineral deal could prevent $34,000,000,000 black hole in American economy
  • Psychological thriller branded the 'best thing Netflix has produced' gets promising update on potential return