Though plenty terrifying on his own, Rhys Frake-Waterfield reveals Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey's titular bear could've been more of a M3GAN-like killer doll. The upcoming horror movie presents a dark twist on the honey-loving teddy bear and his friend Piglet, who have become feral after being abandoned by Christopher Robin when he went to college, and are now looking for revenge. Having already garnered infamy for turning a childhood classic into a bloody killer, a Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey sequel is already in the works.
In a recent interview with Variety to honor the film's upcoming release, Rhys Frake-Waterfield broke down the development of the hotly anticipated horror movie Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey. While discussing the design of the titular character, the writer/director revealed many were suggesting to him to keep Pooh's three-foot-tall stature to make him more of a M3GAN-like killer doll, though a very practical reason prevented this idea from coming to fruition. See what Frake-Waterfield shared below:
That was a very early conversation. [A three-foot tall, knife-wielding teddy bear was what] everyone was suggesting. [This would've been CGI which due to the] very, very tight budget [would've meant very little appearances for the bear]. I mostly go to a horror film for the villain. [A real actor means] nonstop Pooh. A lot of horror fans, and a lot of the people who really like the film — that’s an aspect they love. They perfectly matched the shades of the mask. [We didn't consider a furry Pooh as blood mixed with fur] is a nightmare.
Can Blood & Honey Match M3GAN's Viral Success?
Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey quickly became a viral sensation after its announcement for its bizarre concept of a childhood character becoming a bloodthirsty villain. It's an idea that has already become rampant throughout the horror genre in the months since, with such films as the Grinch-twisting The Mean One, which actually hit theaters before Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, despite being announced afterwards. Frake-Waterfield has also revealed plans for both horror-centric Peter Pan and Bambi adaptations, the latter of which he is producing.
Despite garnering plenty of word of mouth, the question has become whether Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey's viral nature will help it secure a solid haul at the box office. The film did recently hit theaters in Mexico and has already brought in close to $1 million, a strong star considering its $15,000 production budget. Fathom Events also recently announced that the film's United States release, originally slated for one night only, has expanded to a massive nine-day release in over 1,500 theaters nationwide, setting Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey up for potential major success.
Though a film's viral nature doesn't always spell box office success, as seen with Sony's Morbius flopping across multiple releases last year, this year's M3GAN does prove another promising sign for Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey. Initially catching attention for its killer doll's bizarre dancing, the Blumhouse horror-thriller went on to not only score widespread acclaim, but a smash hit at the box office, grossing nearly $160 million against its $12 million budget, quickly securing it a sequel order. With Frake-Waterfield already planning a Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey sequel, it will be interesting to see if it follows in M3GAN's footprints, or its shadow.