The film’s near-silent removal from theaters has prompted speculation that it was pulled, according to one source, due to “political pressure,” with an outright — although unspoken — Winnie-the-Pooh ban in China now appearing to have spread to Hong Kong.

In 2018, Disney’s live-action/CGI feature Christopher Robin — featuring a far more savory version of Winnie — wasn’t approved by authorities in China. While no reason was given at the time, it was blamed on the country’s unofficial crackdown on images of the children’s character after he became a symbol of resistance against the ruling Community Party, with bloggers having drawn comparisons between the pudgy, cuddly bear and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

[Based on the description of the film, Hong Kong viewers probably aren’t missing much — but that’s not the point. It’s yet another indication of how far Beijing will go to protect Xi’s cult of personality, even where it’s not really threatened. — Ed]