Winnie the Pooh turning into a nightmare was not on our 2022 Bingo cards, but thanks to Rhys Frake-Waterfield’s efforts, this too has come to fruition! Earlier this year, the A. A. Milne novel entered the public domain and Frake-Waterfield wasted no time transporting these childhood characters into a slasher film.
After releasing an exclusive poster in July, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey has just debuted its first trailer.
There are not a lot of Easter eggs or details to decipher in the video, but it nonetheless warrants a little digging. Let’s start with the trailer that’s going to make you utterly uncomfortable:
What’s up with “Winnie-the-Pooh”?
Before we jump right into the trailer’s contents, you may have noticed that both Winnie’s name and face don’t look quite right. The title is weirdly hyphenated, while Winnie and Piglet’s faces look downright grotesque.
It’s all about copyrights. Yes, the copyright of the original Winnie-the-Pooh book (whose title was hyphenated) expired and entered the public domain on January 1, 2022—which is how this slasher film came to exist.
However, Disney still holds the rights to both the unhyphenated title of “Winnie the Pooh” and the likeness/visuals of the characters. So, the film really can’t replicate any of the characters in their more familiar form.
Back to 100-Acre Woods
We see an adult Christopher Robin (played by Nikolai Leon), who returns to his childhood hideout, 100-Acre Woods, with his wife. They walk around abandoned wooden structures as Christopher calls out to his old-time friends, Pooh and Piglet.
His wife understandably does not believe in the existence of his imaginary friends and even cautions him to turn back as they won’t find anyone there. Except…
Why is Pooh mad?
Just within a matter of a few seconds, the trailer turns sinister as we see a murderous Winnie lurking about. This is a slasher film, so we know the bear’s intent. But what drove him to such hostility, especially since he’s supposed to be Christopher’s best friend?
The answer is quite simple. The film retains the book’s canon, wherein Christopher would visit and help Pooh and the others find food. But as he grows up, his visits get infrequent until one day, they completely stop.
This is when the animals start dying of hunger. Out of monstrous desperation and anger at being abandoned, Pooh and Piglet go on a rampage.
Who are the new characters?
The trailer also introduces us to a bunch of new characters. As per the official release, the cast is made up of Amber Doig-Thorne, Maria Taylor, Danielle Ronald, Natasha Tosini, May Kelly, Paula Coiz, and Natasha Rose Mills who will be playing Alice, Maria, Zoe, Lara, Tina, Mary, and Jess, respectively
From what is depicted in the clips, it seems like they form a girl squad who have come to a cabin in the woods for a holiday. Unfortunately, they didn’t choose the best location, as they’ll now be victims of Pooh and Piglet’s terrors.
About Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey
Rhys Frake-Waterfield, a first-time filmmaker, wrote and directed Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey. The plot is currently unknown, but according to the IMDB description, the film will feature monstrous versions of Pooh and Piglet who are abandoned by Christopher Robin and then go on a murder rampage. Amber Doig-Thorne, Maria Taylor, and Danielle Scott feature in Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey.
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