(MENAFN) The release of "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey," a slasher film featuring the beloved children's character Winnie the Pooh, has been abruptly canceled in Hong Kong and neighboring Macao, sparking discussions over increasing censorship in the city. Film distributor VII Pillars Entertainment announced on Facebook that the release on Thursday had been canceled with "great regret." The distributor was notified by cinemas that they could not show the film as scheduled, but it didn't know why. The cinema chains involved did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
The Winnie the Pooh character is seen by many Hong Kong residents as a playful taunt of China's President Xi Jinping. In the past, Chinese censors briefly banned social media searches for the bear in the country, and in 2018, the film "Christopher Robin," also featuring Winnie the Pooh, was reportedly denied a release in China. The Chinese name for Winnie the Pooh was also blocked on Chinese social media sites in 2017 because bloggers had been comparing the plump bear to Xi. Animated GIFs of the character were deleted from the app WeChat, and those who commented on the site Weibo with "Little Bear Winnie" received an error message.
The film's cancellation in Hong Kong has prompted concern on social media over the territory's shrinking freedoms. The movie was initially set to be shown in about 30 cinemas in Hong Kong. The Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administration said it had approved the film, and arrangements by local cinemas to screen approved films "are the commercial decisions of the cinemas concerned." However, it refused to comment on specific arrangements.
A screening initially scheduled for Tuesday night in one cinema was canceled due to "technical reasons," the organizer said on Instagram. The cancellation of the film's release has raised questions about the increasing censorship in Hong Kong, which has been a growing concern since the introduction of the national security law last year. Critics argue that the law has been used to crack down on dissent and limit freedom of expression in the city.
The cancellation of "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey" highlights the challenges faced by filmmakers and distributors in navigating the complex web of censorship and political sensitivities in Hong Kong and China. It also underscores the ongoing tensions between Hong Kong and Beijing over issues of freedom and autonomy, which have been a major source of unrest in the city for years.
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