Disneys Christopher Robin—a live-action drama about Winnie the Pooh—isnt going to be released in China. Why, you ask? Why would a charming, mild movie made for children get shooed away from the Chinese market, banished to the same exile as films like Suicide Squad and the Ghostbusters remake?
You can try guessing, but—unless youre hyper clued in to Chinese politics—youll never land on the right answer. So here goes: according to the Hollywood Reporter, the film is being barred from China because Pooh—a happy, honey-loving bear—has become a symbol of resistance to the Chinese government, particularly President Xi Jinping. Citizens have reportedly made unflattering physical comparisons between Jinping and Pooh, to the point where side-by-side images of the have been censored online by authorities. Apparently, Xis a little sensitive about the whole thing. Oh, bother.
The studio has not released an official reason for the films lack of a China release, and representatives for Disney have not yet responded to Vanity Fairs request for comment. However, an insider tells T.H.R. that the decision to keep the film out of China is more about the size and scope of the film, as well as the fact that it would be competing with major tentpoles.
The Pooh-Jinping comparisons have been going for the last few months, born out of a viral image that compared Jinping and then president Barack Obama walking next to each other to an image of Pooh and Tigger. China-based social media users noticed back in May that searches for Winnie the Pooh on popular social media site Weibo were turning up error messages that read “content is illegal.” In addition, users were banned from using the bears name to comment on posts.
The Pooh-pooing goes beyond that, too. Back in June, late night firebrand John Oliver did a segment about Jinping on Last Week Tonight, in which he mocked the presidents sensitivity to the Pooh comparisons. “The fact hes annoyed about it means people will never stop bringing it up,” he joked. Shortly afterward, HBOs website was blocked in China. Oliver responded by tossing another joke at Jinpings expense in a later episode.
As T.H.R. notes, Christopher Robin is projected to fare well at the box office with or without the ever- valuable Chinese market, and is expected to nab between $20 million and $30 million in its opening weekend. But still, waving goodbye to that Chinese theater-going crowd means Christopher Robin is missing out on a lot of honey.
Get Vanity Fairs HWD NewsletterSign up for essential industry and award news from Hollywood.Full ScreenPhotos:If You Love Old Hollywood Gossip, Put These Books, Films, and Podcasts on Your List
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Yohana DestaYohana Desta is a Hollywood writer for VanityFair.com.
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