From Honey and Hugs to Blood and Guts whats happened to Winnie the Pooh?
The Poohiverse, a universe created by A.A. Milne in 2023 with the release of Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, directed by Rhys Frake-Waterfield, which takes audiences into a brutal reinterpretation of Pooh and Piglet as deranged killers, far removed from the innocent characters fans know. In Blood and Honey, Pooh and Piglet are left alone and become feral after Christopher Robin, their lifelong friend, leaves for college. The neglected characters transform into homicidal maniacs, turning their abandonment into a spree of bloody revenge. The film was produced on a small budget, but the morbid curiosity surrounding the film made it an overnight success, grossing over $4 million and garnering a cult following. This initial success has paved the way for an expanded horror universe, or the "Poohiverse," promising even more violent spins on the Hundred Acre Wood residents. This has struck up convestation within the film industry on whether things are going too far.
Frake-Waterfield and his team quickly announced plans for Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2, aiming for a broader, more ambitious scope and budget to deliver heightened horror elements and more detailed backstories. In the sequel, the character lineup is expected to expand, possibly including more well-known characters such as Tigger, Rabbit, and Eeyore, each with their own dark and disturbing twists. Tigger, for instance, might take on an even more erratic and uncontrollable persona, while the melancholic Eeyore could be reimagined as a figure filled with vengeful rage.
Credit: Google images
Frake-Waterfield has shared his vision for an extended horror universe where these iconic childhood characters are re-envisioned with horror themes to create an interconnected horror franchise. This approach is similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where each horror film can stand alone but also contribute to a larger storyline.
The decision to expand beyond Blood and Honey is a strategic response to the newfound enthusiasm for public domain horror adaptations, as seen with similar projects like The Mean One, a horror version of The Grinch, and a planned horror take on Bambi. Of course, the darker vision of these characters isn’t without its controversy. With film fans saying the idea is ‘barbaric’ or ‘stupid’ to be adapting such childrens novels into these type of films. One in particular said “It isnt something id thought that I would ever be seeinng when growing up. All these remakes and re do’s are going too far now we cant just leave things alone.”
The main issues with this cinematic universe is not just the low quality production of the films, its the fact that studios either big corporate studios and even now independent films are seemingly running out of ideas. With never ending re boots and real life adaptation of previous creations, the film industry is coming to a point where there is a huge need for creativity and something new.
To delve deeper into this growing trend, I spoke to James Ipp, a part-time film reviewer from Coventry, who offered some thought-provoking insights on the Poohiverse, the future of film, and the impact of AI on creativity in cinema.
“While there’s clearly an audience for these twisted takes on beloved characters, it’s hard not to see it as a symptom of a larger problem in the industry,” Ipp explained. “The lack of fresh ideas is a huge issue right now. We’re seeing the same recycled concepts, reboots, and reimagining’s repeatedly. The Poohiverse is a perfect example of that. I think people are tired of it, but they still show up because they’re curious or because it taps into a certain nostalgic feeling. But ultimately, the question remains: how long can this last?”
Ipp also touched on the broader issue of creativity in the industry, particularly with the rise of AI. “We’re seeing studios rely more and more on AI to speed up production. While AI can help with some of the technical aspects, like visual effects, it can’t replace the creative vision that makes cinema special. I worry that we’re going to lose that human touch in filmmaking. If AI takes over, where does that leave the artistically driven films, we all want to see?”
Ipp’s thoughts reflect a growing concern in the industry, as many feel that studios are stuck in a cycle of repeating past successes. “There’s this trend right now where anything that’s familiar seems to get a pass, even if it’s a shallow or gimmicky take. The Poohiverse is fun for a while, but it’s ultimately just playing on nostalgia. It’s not what cinema should be about. If we keep relying on that formula, we’re going to hit a wall.”
Whether this is turning children’s characters into tormenting murderers or not we will see. This will certainly not be the last we see of these types of adaptations to culturally significant films, as it seems to be the trend to be make or adapt classics but for film fans this may be the way the industry is for now.