Winnie The Pooh horror film pulled from HK and Macau cinemas

Screenings of British horror film “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” have been pulled from Hong Kong and Macau cinemas after its distributor cancelled the release. While it did not clarify the reasons behind the decision, the local film censorship board told local media that the movie has gained approval for release.

According to its Facebook page, distributor VII Pillars Entertainment said that it has cancelled the screenings of the film in Hong Kong and Macau, and did not offer any details and explanation. “It is with great regret to announce the scheduled release of 'Winnie-The-Pooh: Blood and Honey' in Hong Kong and Macau on 23 March has been cancelled. We are incredibly sorry for the disappointment and inconvenience,” the post read. According to HKFP, the distributor said that they are not sure if the film would be shown at a later date.

However, Hong Kong’s Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administration (ONFAA) said that it issued a certificate of approval to the film for local audiences. A check by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE saw on ONFAA’s website that, the film was granted a Category III rating, which is only suitable for audiences over 18 years of age.

The move has drawn mixed reactions across social platforms, as netizens have expressed their disappointments over the cancellation of a screening event by local movie review page Moviematic, which previously planned to reserve the entire cinema for its fans to watch the film on 21 March. Some netizens questioned the reasons behind the move while some speculated the cancellation of the screenings is due to political reasons, a check by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE saw on the post. 

The movie revolves around Pooh and Piglet embarking on a bloody rampage after they are abandoned by Christopher Robin. It was originally set to be shown in 30 cinemas across Hong Kong.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to VII Pillars Entertainment for a statement.

Don't miss: The Grounds scraps Batman movie screening due to inappropriate level of violence

This is not the first time screenings of international films are being banned in Hong Kong. Back in October last year, The Grounds has defended its decision to cancel the outdoor screening of a Batman movie as the Hong Kong film watchdog said the movie was too violent. In a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, a spokesperson of The Grounds said: “The Grounds decided to make a change of movie based on Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administration (OFNAA)’s recommendation. OFNAA felt that for an outdoor screening, the level of violence was not appropriate. This discussion is not unusual. It is a normal part of the licensing process.”

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