China will be welcoming the Lunar New Year with the cartoon icon Peppa Pig. A film titled "Peppa Pig Celebrates Chinese New Year" will hit the Chinese big screen on Feb. 5, which will officially mark the first day of the traditional holiday.
Entertainment One and Alibaba Pictures will bring the animated movie featuring the British cartoon character to this side of the world. The film will have Peppa speaking in Mandarin as she tells two children, Tangyuan and Jiaozi, about the importance of celebrating and observing the Chinese Lunar New Year.
"Peppa Pig Celebrates Chinese New Year" will also highlight Chinese cultural elements and love for family. The movie will feature a dragon parade and a fantastic fireworks display amid people wearing red scarves for good luck, according to Asia One.
The film is aimed at rehabilitating the image of Peppa Pig in China. Last May, Chinese authorities banned clips of the preschool program "Peppa Pig" on a popular streaming platform because the character assumed a reputation as a gangster.
While the show is aimed at the entertainment and education of young kids, the cartoon series has developed quite a following among young adults. According to SBS, the more mature fan base of "Peppa Pig" actually associate the cartoons to gangs or thugs in China.
It sparked a tattoo craze where gang members have the image of the British cartoon character permanently etched on their bodies. But tattoos, in general, are not usually well-accepted in China's strict environment.
Gangs in China also used the image of Peppa Pig in social media as a symbol of unrestricted living. The Chinese government, however, cited that this was a subversive act and that the Peppa Pig craze ran counter to the values that the ruling party wanted to advocate among the youth. Eventually, videos of the cartoon series started disappearing in China's video-sharing platforms.
Before the controversy, "Peppa Pig" was widely popular among viewers. Introduced on Chinese television in the mid-2000s as a Mandarin-dubbed series, the British cartoon icon also became popular as merchandise.
Chinese celebrities would often share photo snaps on social media of things they own or bought that bore the image of Peppa Pig. There's even a Peppa Pig clothing and accessories line, as well as a houseware collection.
"Peppa Pig Celebrates Chinese New Year" will open in China on Tuesday, Feb. 5. The movie will feature the voices of Zhu Yawen and Liu Yun.
