The people of China are gearing up to welcome the Lunar New Year 2019. However, they have another reason to celebrate! None other then Peppa Pig is making a glorious return to the nation after being banned in 2018 for turning into a rebellion symbol. She will be gracing in the Year of the Pig in the upcoming Chinese film which translates to Peppa Pig Celebrates Chinese New Year. It’s a great new for the younger ones in China. According to the media reports, the film is all set to hit the big screen on February 5, the first day of the holiday. Chinese New Year 2019 Date: Which Animal Is It This Year? What Is Your Chinese Zodiac Animal?
In the movie, the Mandarin-speaking Peppa appears in her original gangster-like-self is friends with two children nicknamed Jiaozi (dumplings) and Tangyuan (glutinous rice ball)—both are traditional foods eaten during the festival. It sees Peppa tasked to get a three-year-old boy out of bed. The film is co-production of Entertainment One, which holds the rights to Peppa Pig and China’s Alibaba Pictures. It tells the story of how two Chinese children with their friend Peppa celebrate the festival with their families.
The film has come after Peppa was being slammed in China in 2018 for bizarrely becoming a symbol of rebellion. The cartoon character even ended up featuring in gang-related rap videos and tattoos. Images of the pink pig smoking while adorning gold necklaces, sunglasses and tattoos surfaced on Chinese social media and gradually became a symbol of living an unconstrained life free of societal pressures. Parents began to unite in their hatred for the character.
The videos of Peppa mysteriously disappeared for a while from Douyin, one of China’s biggest streaming platforms. Despite her haters, the pig appears well on her way, back in action with her new movie. Will the infamous heroine face a new level of relevance in China? Well, only time will tell, but we love a happy ending!
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 02, 2019 09:06 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).