Posted in: Disney, Movies | Tagged: christopher robin, disney, film

Christopher Robin Won't Get a Chinese Release

Published Fri, 03 Aug 2018 17:40:21 -0500

Another Disney movie isn't making its way to China this year. According to
The Hollywood Reporter China isn't going to release Christopher Robin and will be the second Disney movie that won't see a Chinese release with A Wrinkle in Time being the first. The reason why Christopher Robin has been denied is unclear. The first one has been a crackdown on images of Winnie the Pooh for political reasons.

Last summer, authorities began blocking pictures of Winnie the Pooh on social media given that the character has become a symbol of the resistance in China with foes of the ruling Communist Party, namely Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Bloggers have drawn comparisons between the pudgy bear and Xi, which has put the country's censors in overdrive.

That might not be the only reason. China is coming out of the July blackout where they don't release any movies from the West. That means any July releases are making their way to China now.

But an insider counters that the decision likely has to do with the size and scope of the film given the foreign film quota and the fact that there are several new Hollywood tentpoles in the Chinese market right now.

At the moment Christopher Robin is looking to do okay both commercially and critical. It's not going to be a huge hit like last years Beauty and the Beast was but considering that Disney has three out of five of the top movies of the year (all three of which have pulled in over a billion at the box office) they can take a modest hit.

Summary: Working-class family man Christopher Robin encounters his childhood friend Winnie-the-Pooh, who helps him to rediscover the joys of life.

Christopher Robin, directed by Marc Foster, stars Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell, Jim Cummings, Chris O'Dowd, Toby Jones, Peter Capaldi, and Brad Garrett. It's out now.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!