Winnie-the-Pooh: When cuddly toys turn into monsters

Winnie-the-Pooh, the cuddly and wise bear, isn’t the first character most would think of casting as the murderous villain of a horror movie. So it was really curious when images and footage of the R-rated horror movie with the menacing title “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” went viral online in 2022.

After the copyright to Alan Alexander Milne’s classic children’s book “Winnie-the-Pooh” expired on January 1, 2022, the character became part of the public domain. As a result, since then, anyone has been able to use and portray the iconic figure as they please.

The first images of “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” appeared in May last year. The idea of ​​a horror movie starring the yellow furry animal and his best friend, Piglet – also wild and bloodthirsty – was met with mixed reactions on the web. Some found Pooh’s mutation into a murderer amusing, while others called for the film to be banned.

Despite negative reviews, the film became a box office success. The low-budget production, made with just $100,000 (€94,165), was originally planned for a streaming-only release and only a single day in cinemas. But after an initial release in Mexico on Jan. 27 and in the US and other countries on Feb. 15, it has already taken in more than $3 million at the global box office, according to Box Office Mojo.

Director Frake-Waterfield receives death threats

In the film, the adult Christopher Robin returns to the Hundred Acre Wood, where his childhood friends Winnie the Pooh and others live. Pooh and Piglet, however, became murderous creatures.

The difference between the horror Pooh and the original is clear: instead of a red shirt, he wears a lumberjack shirt and wears a Pooh mask and rubber gloves.

The film’s director, Rhys Frake-Waterfield, said he has even received death threats from Winnie the Pooh fans. But at the same time, the British director told the Associated Press that he was completely blown away by the film’s astounding success.

“Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” is not the first horror film in which seemingly innocent characters commit gruesome murders.

In Ivan Reitman’s popular 1984 horror comedy “Ghostbusters,” the chaotic hero squad’s adversary, an ancient malevolent god named Gozer, attacks New York City in the form of a giant marshmallow man, a fictional propaganda figure. of a popular candy in the United States. Although the rival of the ghost hunters is constantly smiling, he is still determined to destroy everything in his path.

Marshmallow men and furry animals

“Ghostbusters”, unlike “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey”, had a big budget of $31 million (€29 million). The film was extremely successful and grossed nearly 10 times that amount worldwide and is one of the most successful films of all time.

Several sequels followed, most recently “Ghostbusters: Afterlife”, with another installment slated for release in 2023.

“Gremlins”, also released in 1984, is a horror comedy from director Joe Dante, in which an inventor named Randall Peltzer buys a small furry animal named Gizmo from a mysterious dealer in Chinatown to give to his son Billy.

It’s a mogwai, a Chinese demon, but harmless in this case. However, when the cute one gets wet, several cruel demons come out of him, which subsequently turn into reptilian monsters and terrorize the idyllic little town where the Peltzers live.

The film grossed $148 million in the United States alone. The sequel “Gremlins 2: The New Batch” was released in 1990.

killer chucky

The horror film “Child’s Play”, about the killer doll Chucky, is pure horror film, unlike “Gremlins” or “Ghostbusters”. Despite its toy antagonist, it’s not kid stuff.

While it wasn’t an immediate hit when it was released in 1988, over time it became a cult classic among horror fans and was even expanded into a film series.

In the original film, the ghost of serial killer Charles Lee Ray is transported into a children’s doll thanks to a voodoo ritual.

Killer or not, Winnie-the-Pooh is unlikely to be the last character to enter the public domain that will be used in unexpected ways. Other famous characters soon to be usable by the public include Mickey Mouse in his original form in “Steamboat Willie” (1928), Bugs Bunny, Batman and Superman.

“Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” director Rhys Frake-Waterfield is also looking forward to it: “There will be so many different and cool iterations coming out of this. I might do one.”

This article was originally written in German.