Whether it be the books, TV shows or movies, Winnie-the-Pooh was a wholesome part of many people’s childhoods. So when the news broke that an upcoming horror movie, titled Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, was next in line for the character, many fans were understandably confused and concerned. However, the cute children’s stories could make for a great horror movie setting.
To address the most confusing aspect: no, Disney is not making Blood and Honey. With Winnie first appearing in 1926, the copyright laws finally expired in January, so the character is finally in the public domain and free to use by anyone. And so, independent filmmaker Rhys Frake-Waterfield wasted no time jumping in on the free use and announced the horror film as his first directorial debut.
The reaction has been shock and laughter from most, yet putting the absurdity aside, it could actually make for an enjoyable horror. Firstly, many children’s tales become creepy when placed in the real world. While the classic home of Pooh, Ashdown Forest, is a real place in England, the idea of a sentient teddy bear taking a child into the forest sounds like a great premise for a horror movie. And it’s only made stranger with the introduction of Pooh’s friends, who also appear to be in the film.
From the images released, it seems things are heading toward the slasher movie route, with the classic scenario of teens alone in the woods. With the relatively low budget, the characters of Winnie and Piglet don’t appear to be actual teddy bears but instead humanoid figures with creepy masks. Although, it’s unknown if they’re meant to be actual humans in a costume or some mutant animals. This could make for a good question within Blood and Honey, as both scenarios sound equally disturbing.
And diving deeper into the character of Winnie-the-Pooh, it’s easy to see the horror potential. His calm, soft-spoken voice would work perfectly for a vicious murderer and could be made even weirder by including a musical number like a classic Disney movie. Then there’s his obsessive need for honey, which could easily translate to blood and other gruesome fluids.
The potential doesn’t stop with Pooh, as his human friend, Christopher Robin, could end up being a key part of the story. The boy may be one of the teens at the house that Pooh is trying to capture or kill for revenge. Or, as a greater twist, Christopher could even be the mastermind behind it all, as he gathers his once-wholesome friends to do his murderous bidding, with characters such as Tigger, Eeyore, Rabbit and more, all making for an incredibly chilling gang of killers.
On top of the horror goldmine, it feels like the perfect time for this movie to release, as proven by the success of the recent Willy’s Wonderland. This bizarre Nicolas Cage horror showed that cheesy teen-slashers are still in style, and that the weirder they are, the better. To top things off, the idea of disturbing children’s cartoons has become a meme in recent years. Numerous creepy drawings of Garfield have gained a strange following, with the Reddit page r/imsorryjon boasting over 800,000 followers posting horror depictions of wholesome media.
With Blood and Honey being made by an independent filmmaker, it’s likely gained more attention than he possibly imagined. But hopefully, the project can live up to the hype, as the tales of Winnie-the-Pooh hold a surprising treasure trove of horror potential. And among all the modern-slasher sequels and remakes, audiences are more than ready for unusual slasher stories.
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