The mysterious shutdown has fuelled speculation that the film may be the latest target of Beijing censors who might be unhappy about the role the bear has played in poking fun at Xi Jinping.
The crackdown on anything which could cause embarrassment to Beijing has come as part of censorship rules imposed on Hong Kong since China decreed a national security law in 2020 in the wake of massive anti-government protests. The law was nominally designed to prevent “secession,” “terrorism,” and “colluding with foreign forces,” but in practice has been used to quell any political opposition to China in Hong Kong.
Authorities were further emboldened in 2021 when a specific movie censorship law was passed. The rules were again forced through under the auspices of safeguarding “national security,” granting power to revoke film licenses if officials deemed a movie “to be contrary to national security interests.” Hong Kong’s international film festival dropped two films from its schedule last year after the local government refused to allow screenings to go ahead,
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Viral Hit ‘Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey’ Pulled From Cinemas in Hong KongThe microbudget slasher has been yanked from more than 30 cinemas ahead of its release, fueling speculation over censorship and political pressure from China, where an unofficial — and bizarre — crackdown on Winnie-the-Pooh has been in place for several years.
Read more »
Screening of 'Winnie the Pooh' horror film cancelled in Hong KongThe screening of 'Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey', a British slasher film due to be released in Hong Kong this week, has been cancelled, its distributor said on Tuesday, without giving a reason for pulling it.
Read more »
Why car prices are still so high — and why they are unlikely to fall anytime soonThe average new vehicle costs nearly $49,000, an almost $10,000 increase from before the pandemic. This is a look at today's deeply weird auto market:
Read more »
China's Xi Jinping flexes his diplomatic muscle with a visit to MoscowChina's Xi Jinping lands in Moscow to strengthen ties with Russian leader Vladimir Putin while seeking possible steps towards peace in Ukraine.
Read more »
Chinese leader Xi Jinping makes 1st Moscow visit as Putin wages Ukraine warPutin and Xi will touch on issues related to Ukraine, a spokesman said. They added that Russia's president will likely offer a “detailed explanation' of Moscow's view on the current situation.
Read more »