Business Express is an online portal that covers the latest developments in the world of business and finance. From startups and entrepreneurship to mergers and acquisitions, Business Express provides reporting on the stories that matter most to business leaders and decision-makers.The website publishes news, press releases, opinion and advertorials on various financial organizations, products and services which are commissioned from various Companies, Organizations, PR agencies, Bloggers etc. These commissioned articles are commercial in nature. This is not to be considered as financial advice and should be considered only for information purposes. It does not reflect the views or opinion of our website and is not to be considered an endorsement or a recommendation. We cannot guarantee the accuracy or applicability of any information provided with respect to your individual or personal circumstances. Please seek Professional advice from a qualified professional before making any financial decisions. We link to various third-party websites, affiliate sales networks, and to our advertising partners websites. When you view or click on certain links available on our articles, our partners may compensate us for displaying the content to you or make a purchase or fill a form. This will not incur any additional charges to you. To make things simpler for you to identity or distinguish advertised or sponsored articles or links, you may consider all articles or links hosted on our site as a commercial article placement. We will not be responsible for any loss you may suffer as a result of any omission or inaccuracy on the website.
2023 03 21T112816Z 2 LYNXMPEJ2K079 RTROPTP 4 HONGKONG FILM - Business Express

Screening of ‘Winnie the Pooh’ horror film cancelled in Hong Kong


By Jessie Pang and Farah Master

HONG KONG (Reuters) -The 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.

VII Pillars Entertainment said on its Facebook page that it was with “great regret” that the scheduled release of the movie on March 23 had been cancelled. It did not give further details.

Chinese censors have in the past targeted the film’s main character, originally conceptualised by English author A.A. Milne, due to memes that compare the bumbling bear to President Xi Jinping.

The comparisons began in 2013 when Xi visited the United States and met his then counterpart Barack Obama and some online commentators seized on their likeness to Pooh and Tigger.

Some people have used the image of Pooh to signal dissent.

Hong Kong’s government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A ticket-booking link on its Facebook page brought up a message saying ticketing was temporarily unavailable.

Don't miss out on any breaking news or insightful opinions!
Subscribe to our free newsletter and stay updated on the go!


By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: Global Banking & Finance Review. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email.

Moviematic, which had organised a screening of the film for Tuesday evening, reported the cancellation on its social media page earlier in the day and cited technical reasons for the cancellation.

A new censorship law in the former British colony came into effect in 2021. Some films have been prevented from being shown in the Chinese special administrative region.

The city’s censorship law bars films that “endorse, support, glorify, encourage and incite activities that might endanger national security”.

Beijing imposed a national security law on Hong Kong in 2020 after the city was rocked by anti-government protests. The law sets out punishment for anything deemed subversion, secession, colluding with foreign forces and terrorism.

Two films were dropped from Hong Kong’s international film festival last year after failing to get approval from authorities.

The cancellation comes as Hong Kong hosts the Art Basel contemporary art fair with authorities keen to promote the city as a vibrant cultural hub.

(Reporting by Jessie Pang and Farah Master; Editing by Robert Birsel, William Maclean)

 

Recent Post: