The First Foreign Film to Hit China in Weeks? A British Christmas Movie About a Cat

The first import to break through China’s nearly two-month political moratorium on foreign films apparently won’t be “Black Widow” or “Space Jam: A New Legacy.” Instead, Beijing is opening its doors to an unlikely contender for August: a little-known British Christmas film about a cat.“A Christmas Gift From Bob” — a seasonal, feel-good sequel to the uplifting 2016 biographical drama “A Street Cat Named Bob” — will hit Chinese screens on Aug.

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The first film told the real-life story of how busker and recovering addict James Bowen turned his life around after befriending a stray cat, and was based on Bowen’s memoirs.“Gift From Bob” counts Chinese firm DDDream among its backers, with the company’s Yang Yiwen listed as an executive producer.

It is directed by Charles Martin Smith, who also helmed an animal story made with Chinese financing in 2019: “A Dog’s Way Home,” the tale of

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