In recent years, China's government has intensified its crackdown on any sharing of photos and memes related to Winnie the Pooh. Yes, Chinese social media platforms—among other things—are after the honey-loving bear. Why? Because of comparisons to the country’s President, Xi Jinping.

It was also earlier this month that HBO was banned by China after "John Oliver's Last Week Tonight" aired a segment joking about Pooh's resemblance to Xi. Oliver stated, “Apparently, Xi Jingping is very sensitive about his perceived resemblance to Winnie the Pooh.”

And so, with Pooh playing a significantly important role in today's new release "Christopher Robin," well, China had no choice but to ban the movie. We don’t know for sure if that was the exact reason, but I'd be shocked if it didn't play some part in the decision-making process. THR is hinting at that.

Does that mean the meme market has the power to control the movie market in China? This is only the second time this year, a Disney movie has been denied release in China.