Winnie-The-Pooh: Blood And Honey Filmmakers Are Already Receiving Death Threats
Winnie The Pooh is finally making his grand return to the big screen, which means it's time to gather the children and head to theaters in his honor. There's just one problem: "Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey" isn't exactly a kid-friendly romp. While the upcoming film takes place in the Hundred Acre Woods and reunites Pooh with his dear friend Piglet, that's pretty much where the familiarity ends. Changed by time, hunger, and pure unbridled rage, the iconic teddy bear has traded his honeypot for chloroform and a sledgehammer.
Writer-director Rhys Frake-Waterfield has created a film with Pooh Bear as you've never seen him before. And the differences don't stop there. For one thing, don't expect to hear the gloomy musings of everyone's favorite donkey, Eeyore. Sadly, the story picks up during a dark period for Pooh and his friends. Abandoned by Christopher Robin, who chose college over his childhood companions, the gang endured a difficult winter with scarce resources. Left with no other option, Pooh and Piglet were driven to such rabid desperation that they did the unthinkable and ate poor Eeyore alive.
In case it hasn't been made abundantly clear already, "Winnie-the-Pooh: Bloody And Honey" is not for the faint of heart.
Haunted by their actions, the slasher fest sees Pooh and Piglet seeking revenge on Christopher Robin and all humans who dare to enter their woods. Never mind the Pooh plushie you grew up with, Frake-Waterfield's take on the bear is as far from family-friendly as can be. That's what makes it so exciting! But just because one filmmaker leaped at the chance to put a knife in Pooh's hands, doesn't mean that everyone else is a fan.
Frake-Waterfield wants to ruin your childhood
Despite the fact that Pooh Bear himself would disapprove of their shameful tactics, those who passionately hate the idea of a honey bear wielding a knife have resorted to death threats. Speaking with Agence France-Press, director Rhys Frake-Waterfield called the vitriolic response to the movie "mental."
"I've had petitions to stop it. I've had death threats. I've had people saying they called the police," he told AFP. Oh to be a fly on the wall for that ridiculous 9-1-1 conversation. Clearly lacking a sense of humor, way too many people fail to realize that one slasher won't tarnish Pooh's good-natured legacy. For his part, Frake-Waterfiled has been embracing the negativity since the very start. When a commenter complained that the movie would ruin people's childhoods, the filmmaker agreed, writing on his Instagram story: "That's what I'm trying to do, ruin everyone's childhood."
For years, the adventures of Pooh and co were exclusively licensed to Walt Disney Studios, which produced six feature films, numerous shorts, direct-to-video specials and so much more. In Disney's hands, the silly old bear was like the manifestation of childhood innocence, delivering wise-yet-simple advice to the masses while appealing most directly to a preschool audience. But those days are (mostly) over, because the copyright on the first A.A. Milne book recently expired. Face it — gritty reboots are all the rage nowadays. Not even preschool icons are safe! Frake-Waterfield was just the first to pounce on the opportunity, a move that is primed to pay off in spades.
New century, new Pooh
"Blood and Honey" has been capturing attention since the first production stills hit the internet, showing the menacing figures of Pooh and Piglet looming behind an oblivious woman in a pool. When he first got to work developing the film, Rhys Frake-Waterfield was hopeful that it would land a theatrical debut, but his expectations weren't too high. Then, within hours of the first images hitting the internet, it became clear that Pooh-the-serial-killing-bear was more than capable of getting butts in seats: without releasing a second of footage, the film had gone viral purely on the merits of its gory premise. Just like that, the microbudget slasher secured a wide theatrical release.
Already, despite the complaints, jeers, and absurd 9-1-1 calls, the numbers prove that people are at least curious about a teddy bear turned killer. While the film debuts in the United States on February 15, it's been playing in Mexico for two weeks and already turned a considerable profit. According to Box Office Mojo, the film has already passed the $1 million mark. Frake-Waterfield told APF that he believes the film could achieve the highest "budget-to-box office ratio" since "Paranormal Activity." Considered the most profitable horror film of all time, the 2009 film raked in serious cash, earning $193 million worldwide against a measly $15,000 budget. Most importantly, it launched what would become a $1 billion franchise.
Already with an eye to the future, Frake-Waterfield has announced plans for a "Blood and Honey" sequel — and that's in addition to "Bambi: The Reckoning," a new take on the classic character that turns the gentle forest dweller into a killing machine. Needless to say, no amount of hate mail will stop this filmmaker from wreaking havoc on your childhood memories.