The director of "Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey" has gotten some very troubling comments,
which goes to show that sometimes the fans can be bigger monsters than the characters they idolize.
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.
"We need to leave…now."
"I really need to find out what's happened here. Okay?"
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.
Even though 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." He continued,
"I've had petitions to stop it. I've had death threats.
I've had people saying they called the police."
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 his friends 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. Pooh's stories delivered wise-yet-simple
advice to everyone while appealing most directly to a preschool audience. But
those days are over because the copyright on the first A.A. Milne book recently expired.
"Blood and Honey" has captured 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 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.
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.