Although it’s been less than a year, it feels like we’ve been waiting for decades for the arrival of Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey. Part of the reason is that the film was initially rumored to be arriving in time for 2022’s spooky season, before receiving a one-day-only release in the U.S. on February 15, 2023, with streaming options anticipated to be announced any day now. Luckily for us, the Rhys Frake-Waterfield-directed feature has dropped a new set of exclusive images to IGN, giving us another look at the bloody horror that’s stalking the Hundred Acre Wood and the boy who turned a colorful utopia into a gruesome horror fest.
Three of the four images reveal the ghoulish bear at the center of the murderous madness, Winnie-the-Pooh. Reminiscent of recent shots of Michael Myers in David Gordon Green’s Halloween trilogy, the once winsome and cuddly honey-loving bear now terrifies in a trio of backlit photos. Two of the shots are similar, with Pooh holding what appears to be a head and a spinal cord in one of his hands while the other depicts him stalking a victim and grasping onto a knife while a car burns in the background.
The final picture features Christopher Robin in what looks to be a flashback from Pooh’s memory of the young man handing him a piece of fruit. Completely opposite to the others, the Christopher Robin featured photo has a flood of colors, whereas the other shots are pure darkness.
.jpeg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
In a story that taps into abandonment issues on a brutal level Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey tells the story of life in the Hundred Acre Woods after Christopher Robin grows up and leaves his childhood behind. Without their friend to keep them sane through his regular visits, Pooh and Piglet - who appear with a bizarre human likeness - go on a murderous spree throughout the woods. When Christopher returns years later with his girlfriend, he discovers that his childhood pals are out for blood and vengeance.
The film is kicking off a new wave of childhood favorites being twisted into a much darker story with Frake-Waterfield recently revealing his plans to turn the story of Peter Pan into a slasher fest. Titled Peter Pan: Neverland Nightmare, we’re waiting to see what strange and startling depictions of the lost boys, Peter Pan, and Wendy we can see in the upcoming flick.
As for Blood and Honey, you can see the latest batch of IGN Exclusive photos below and continue scrolling to check out the film’s trailer. Keep your eyes on Collider for more information surrounding a streamer and VOD release before (or after) its one-night-only arrival to theaters on February 15.