The first images for the new low-budget English horror film Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey show that this incarnation of the beloved children’s character won’t be for the faint of heart. It was at the beginning of the year when A.A. Milne’s original Winnie The Pooh book entered the public domain, as, under US copyright law, enough time had passed since publication. This means that any member of the public is now free to make material about the iconic bear and his friend Piglet without consulting Disney, who had previously owned the rights to the book. Still, this doesn’t extend to characters like Tigger, as he only appeared in later publications.
The lapsing of the book’s copyright led to numerous hilarious takes, such as when Ryan Reynolds introduced Winnie-the-Screwed, an angry take on the bear who is upset about his phone bill in a new commercial for Mint Mobile. However, the most disturbing take on the source material may just be coming from writer-director Rhys Frake-Waterfield, who is helming a new horror-comedy take on the character called Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey. Labeled on IMDB as a horror retelling of the famous Winnie The Pooh story, it is currently in post-production and is set for a release later this year.
Now, Jagged Edge Productions have released images (via Bloody Disgusting) of the upcoming horror flick, and it looks as if the film will be aping the mumblegore style of films like You’re Next. There are domestic locales with blood scrawled on them, lots of shadowy corners, and even a pair of terrifying masks, which look as if to be Blood and Honey’s interpretation of the titular bear and his pal Piglet. It also seems as if the film will be using a lot of shock imagery, as one of the stills shows a skimpily-clad woman relaxing in a hot tub as Pooh and Piglet sneak up on her. See the images below:
According to Waterfield, that last image of the imminent hot tub murder will be emblematic of the film's combination of horror and comedy. He revealed in an interview that the film will be about their rampage to find food after Christopher Robin goes off to college and that in the jacuzzi scene they chloroform the lady and drive over her head. He also states however that the scene will have moments of hilarity, mainly focusing on the iconic imagery of Winnie the Pooh juxtaposed against the brutal violence, which could prove to be quite effective.
It's certainly an interesting take on the character, and Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey should prove to be quite the controversy magnet when it is eventually released. For many, the film will be an example of the creative use of free license, although there has already been some upset from fans of the original book who say that it distorts Milne’s vision too much. Whatever happens, it definitely won’t be a film to bring kids to.
Source: Jagged Edge Productions (via Bloody Disgusting)