CHRISTOPHER ROBIN Won't Be Released In China Due To Efforts To Censor Winnie The Pooh
Winnie The Pooh may be a beloved character in other countries, but thanks to the loveable bear's connection to resistance groups in China, Disney's Christopher Robin won't release in the Middle Kingdom.
Stateside, Winnie the Pooh is merely an innocent children's character, whose popular animated series endeared him to audiences. However, in China, the image of the honey-loving toy has a different significance, at least when it comes to politics and President Xi Jinping.
Specifically, the Disney character has become a symbol of the resistance in China, as Xi's physical appearance is often compared to Pooh. As a result the country's censors have been working hard to stomp out these comparisons, even blocking HBO after Last Week Tonight's John Oliver mocked the connection between Xi and Pooh.
And now it looks like the censorship has touched Disney's live-action Christopher Robin film - which sees an adult Robin, played by Ewan McGregor, reunite with his childhood friend Pooh - as the upcoming film is officially denied a China release.
There was actually no reason given for the ban against the movie, but The Hollywood Reporter's sources are confident that the widespread censoring of Winnie the Pooh was to blame.