Despite the best efforts of the Walt Disney Company, the rights to A.A. Milne’s beloved bear Winnie the Pooh entered the public domain back in December, and Jagged Edge Productions and director Rhys Frake-Waterfield have wasted little time in capitalising on the Mouse House’s lack of exclusivity on the classic property with a twisted take on Pooh and friends in the horror film Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey.
As revealed by Dread Central, a batch of first look images have arrived online for the film, which is described simply as “a horror retelling of the famous legend of Winnie the Pooh”, and as you can see from the stills, Pooh Bear and Piglet have ventured out of the Hundred Acre Wood in search of blood (and honey, presumably). Take a look for yourself here with the first look images along with plot details below…
UPDATE: Director Frake-Waterfield has now spoken to Variety about the project, revealing that in his version of the film Pooh and Piglet set off on a murderous rampage after being abandoned by Christopher Robin when he heads off to college.
“Christopher Robin is pulled away from them, and he’s not [given] them food, it’s made Pooh and Piglet’s life quite difficult,” said 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.”
Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey is directed by Rhys Frake-Waterfield and features a cast that includes Amber Doig-Thorne, Maria Taylor, and Danielle Scott. It is expected to release later this year.
