The famous family-friendly Winnie the Pooh IP is now in the public domain, and a team of filmmakers have decided to create a horror movie called–wait for it–Blood and Honey.
The movie follows Pooh and Piglet “as they go on a rampage after Christopher Robin abandons them.” The film is directed by Rhys Frake-Waterfield, and the first images are horrifying.
Blood and Honey hails from UK-based Jagged Edge Productions, which previously made the sinister Humpty Dumpty movie–The Curse of Humpty Dumpty–and Easter Bunny Massacre.
Blood and Honey probably wouldn’t have been approved under Disney’s control, but Winnie the Pooh entered the public domain at the start of 2022. This opened it up to creators to do with it as they wish, so long as their creations don’t borrow story and character elements from Disney. Pinocchio also recently entered public domain, and Guillermo del Toro is making a scary spin on it for Netflix.
Blood and Honey filmed for 10 days in England and wrapped production earlier in May. Waterfield, the director, told Variety that the production team will expedite the editing process and hopefully release the movie as soon as possible to capitalize on the hype surrounding the shocking first images.
In the story, Christopher Robin leaves for college, abandoning Pooh and Piglet. Christopher Robin does not give Pooh and Piglet food, so they become feral, Waterfield said.
“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,” he said.
Oh, bother.
