Written and directed by Rhys Frake-Waterfield,Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honeywas announced in 2022, nearly a year ahead of its release on June 16, 2025. While the film’s title is attention-grabbing enough, the premise caused quite the stir: inBlood and Honey, the beloved children’s story icon is anything but a silly old bear — he’s a killer.
The now-feral Winnie-the-Pooh joins forces with his long-time buddy Piglet to terrorize Christopher Robin and, later, a group of young women who are staying in a remote house near the Hundred Acre Wood. WhileWinnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honeymay be the definition of “nightmare fuel,” it’s also killing it at the box office. Here’s everything to know aboutthe unhinged adaptation of A.A. Milne’s much-loved character.
Related:Winnie The Pooh: Blood And Honey Was Almost A Sherlock Holmes Horror Film
Is Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey A Real Movie?
Yes,Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honeyis a real movie. Although it sounds a lot like an April Fool’s Day prank that gained a little too much traction,the indie horror film’s cursed existence was confirmed by IGNin May 2022. The site reported that aWinnie-the-Pooh-based horror film adaptation was in development, coinciding with the character’s entrance into the public domain. Pooh was free from the confines of the Disney Vault, so to speak.
A few years ago, The Walt Disney Company releasedChristopher Robin(2018) — and that seemed like the most out-of-the-norm take audiences would get in relation to the beloved property. Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi) plays the titular character —a grownup Christopherwho’s work-obsessed and unable to spend even one carefree weekend with his wife Evelyn (Hayley Atwell) and their young daughter, Madeline (Bronte Carmichael).
Winnie-the-Pooh comes to the rescue, though, leaving behind a Hundred Acre Wood that’s turned into a desolate, dystopian nightmare to save Christopher Robin from the dual horrors of adulthood and capitalism. Still, this live-action-meets-animation spin on the classic A.A. Milne characters has nothing onthe haunting and gory spinBlood and Honeyputs on the alleged “silly old bear.”
Is Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey A Low Budget Movie?
By today’s Hollywood blockbuster standards,Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honeyisa low-budget horror movie. Shooting took place on location in the Ashdown Forest of East Sussex, England — the very setting that served as the inspiration for the Hundred Acre Wood in original author A.A. Milne’s stories. In total, the 10-day shoot — and all other associatedBlood and Honeyexpenses — cost director Frake-Waterfield under $100,000.
To put it in perspective, thereported average cost to produce a major studio moviehas been around $65 million in recent years. And that’s just the production costs — not the promotional ones. Of course, independent films don’t run up the same budgets as Disney movies, but those that land theatrical releases oftencost a couple million. (Certainly more than $100,000, on average.)
What’s perhaps most impressive aboutBlood and Honey? Its box office earnings. Initially, the film was going to screen in theaters nationwide asa special one-night event. AfterBlood and Honey’s viral moment, that limited engagement was scrapped in favor of a major worldwide theatrical release. Despite the harsh reviews from critics — the slasher film is holding steady at a 6% on Rotten Tomatoes —Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honeygrossed an impressive $2.7 million worldwide, more than making its budget back.
Does Disney No Longer Own Winnie The Pooh?
Since 1966, The Walt Disney Company has owned the characters’ rights, which led the studio to bring author A.A. Milne’s beloved children’s book character to the big screen in the Oscar-winningWinnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day(1968). WhileDisney still has exclusive rights to its own depiction of the characters— as seen in the company’s franchise films, games, merchandise, and more — the first Winnie-the-Pooh book lapsed back into public domain territory on Jul 17, 2025.
With the Winnie-the-Pooh character fair game,writer/director Frake-Waterfield immediately got to workon what would becomeBlood and Honey. Of course, this isn’t the first time a classic character or story has become fair-use content. Recently, F. Scott Fitzgerald’sThe Great Gatsbyentered the public domain, encouraging writers to pen books about the author’s characters without fear of infringing on Fitzgerald’s estate’s rights.
Is Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey Gory?
First-time director Rhys Frake-Waterfield has described the Pooh (Craig David Dowsett) and Piglet (Chris Cordell) of his movie as “homicidal maniacs,” who were driven to kill when Christopher Robin (Nikolai Leon) abandoned them for collegiate pursuits. Apart from the pain of being abandoned, Pooh and Piglet have become vicious because they’ve had to fend for themselves in Christopher’s absence. More connected to their animal roots than ever, the feral characters are trading smackerals of honey (or “hunny”) for human flesh.
To put it bluntly: yes,Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honeyis gory. Despite its low-quality production values, it may be a bit too unnerving for some viewers. Right off the bat, Pooh, Piglet, Rabbit, and Owl decide to kill and eat Eeyore to survive their first winter without Christopher Robin. From there, they make a pact to abandon any trace of humanity and lean into their animal sides. When Pooh and Piglet emerge from the Hundred Acre Wood to find human prey, they choke, bludgeon, decapitate, and woodchipper their victims. Even the late Eeyore’s tail becomes a weapon in thischildhood-ruining slasher.
Where Can You Watch Blood and Honey?
Originally,Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honeywas set to release in October 2022, just in time for Halloween. Afterthe movie’s viral moment, it underwent some reshoots and landed a 2023 theatrical release, premiering in the U.S. on February 15.Blood and Honey’s internet popularity not only nabbed the movie an expanded theatrical release, but delayed what was supposed to be a simultaneous theatrical and streaming release.
Now,Blood and Honeywon’t be streaming until after its theatrical run. While streaming plans haven’t been officially announced, viewers can expect the movie to release on VOD platforms like Amazon’s Prime Video and Apple TV Plus in the coming months. One place you likely won’t see it? Disney Plus or the Disney-owned Hulu. And while how to streamBlood and Honeymight be a mystery for now, a U.K.-based Blu-ray listing suggests a mid-April 2023 release.
Will There Be A Blood and Honey Sequel?
Writer/director Rhys Frake-Waterfield has already confirmed that a sequel toBlood and Honeyis in development. This time, it has a much, much larger budget, and the creator of the unhinged soon-to-be-series promises more inventive,gruesome kills and thrills. Reportedly,Blood and Honey 2will hit theaters in early 2024.
Fans of this slasher-with-cult-following-potential should also take note that Frake-Waterfield plans on making his own cinematic universe of nightmare-fuel versions of beloved characters gone wrong. In addition to aWinnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honeysequel, the filmmaker announced plans forBambi: The ReckoningandPeter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare. Oh, bother…
