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The childhood classic Winnie the Pooh from author A.A. Milne made its way into the public domain at the start of the new year, ending its decades-long protection under the United States copyright laws. As a result, the iconic bear is now openly available to the public to reimagine, which has opened the door to a twisted retelling of the beloved character in a new horror film entitled Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey.
The upcoming indie horror film wrapped up filming earlier this month and comes from director Rhys Frake-Waterfield, who also wrote and co-produced the reimagined project. The buzz surrounding Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey began to surface once images appeared, showcasing unsettling glimpses of Winnie the Pooh and his lovable companion, Piglet. The iconic characters were seen heinously standing behind a young woman, mirroring devilish figures from notable horror films.
However, despite revealing new images, no other pieces of information surfaced regarding the film's mysterious plot. While speaking with Variety, Frake-Waterfield officially pulled back the proverbial curtain to give audiences insight into Winnie the Pooh's unsettling adventure. According to Frake-Waterfield, the upcoming film will place Pooh and Piglet in the shoes of central villains, going on a demonic rampage after being deserted by Christopher Robin.
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"Christopher Robin is pulled away from them, and he's not given them food, it's made Pooh and Piglet's life quite difficult," expressed Frake-Waterfield. "Because they've had to fend for themselves so much, they've essentially become feral. So they've gone back to their animal roots. They're no longer tame: they're like a vicious bear and pig who want to go around and try and find prey." The increased attention the project has generated has prompted Frake-Waterfield and those involved with the film to expedite the editing and post-production, so audiences may be gifted with footage from the horror reasonably soon.
Frake-Waterfield noted, however, that audiences will need to tailor their expectations when viewing this reimagined film. As Frake-Waterfield pointed out, the film will not be a Hollywood-level production, which is understandable because the film was shot entirely in ten days. The film hopes to toe the line between comedy and horror, but it's easy for a narrative such as this to venture down a ridiculous path where fear cannot break through the absurdity surrounding the plot. It'll be interesting to see how Frake-Waterfield balances the two arenas and if audiences find the story worth investing in.
Reactions to the released images indicate some excitement and intrigue to see this murderous take on the beloved bear, but Disney has yet to weigh in on the matter. While A.A. Milne's literary work is available in the public domain, Disney still has exclusive use to their interpretations of Pooh and his companions from the Hundred Acre Wood. Frake-Waterfield noted that the upcoming horror film does its best to stay centered around the 1926 version of the character, but plans of a release may shift if the iconic studio takes up issue with the horrific reimagining.
Source: Variety