AFM: ‘Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2’ Duo Unveils First Terrifying Shut-Up of New-Look Bear (Unique)

In any huge 2023 “12 months in Movie” abstract, there are prone to be some very apparent entries. The cultural phenomenon that was Barbenheimer will little question play a lead position, as will the writers and actors strikes. Then there are main hits, akin to The Tremendous Mario Bros Film, and the Oscars-dominating Every part In all places All at As soon as. 

However any half-decent write-up must also point out a micro-budget British slasher. 

Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey — made for significantly lower than $100,000 — sparked worldwide headlines when it was launched in February, largely resulting from a childhood-bludgeoning premise a few rampaging, murderous Pooh (and Piglet), having already been on lists of essentially the most anticipated films of the yr. It could earn nearly $6 million internationally, an unbelievable sum for a movie that had been initially destined for the straight-to-digital dungeons (and placing it excessive on the record of options with one of the best budget-to-box-office ratios). The movie’s spell within the media sunshine was solely prolonged when in March it was out of the blue pulled from cinemas in Hong Kong having unwittingly strayed right into a Chinese language crackdown on Winnie-the-Pooh imagery that was sparked by memes likening the character to Xi Jinping. After which final month it hit the newsstands once more when a trainer in Florida by accident performed the decidedly R-rated movie to a category of fourth graders.

Directed by Rhys Frake-Waterfield and produced by Scott Jeffrey, the duo behind prolific micro-budget horror banner Jagged Edge Productions, Blood and Honey was initially merely one among quite a few $20-$30,000 titles they had been placing out (Jeffrey has amassed 115 credit to his title in just some years). However its sudden theatrical success propelled the filmmakers a number of rungs up the ladder. A sequel was shortly introduced, as had been numerous different movies taking a bloody axe to a number of childhood favorites, together with Peter Pan and Bambi. A complete universe of low-budget household favorites gone dangerous was mentioned. 

Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2, which has a funds estimated at 10 occasions the primary movie (nonetheless a fraction of the price of most blockbusters’ catering allowance), wrapped filming in September. As a part of the expanded sequel’s manufacturing, acclaimed Olivier Award-winning and BAFTA-nominated thespian Simon Callow joined the solid (the unique had been largely first-timers), whereas a devoted prosthetics workforce was introduced on board. The motion and brutality have been turned up, with scenes akin to one during which Pooh brandishes a chainsaw on hearth, whereas the sequel additionally hopes to take care of the satisfying ridiculousness of your entire premise (there’s a scene involving a recreation of Poohsticks however utilizing physique elements as a substitute of sticks). 

Now in post-production, Blood and Honey 2 — which landed worldwide pre-sales by Premiere Leisure (ITN dealt with North America) — is aiming for a cinema launch precisely a yr after the primary, round Feb. 14, 2024 (making it a considerably uncommon Valentine’s Day date).

The plan, in line with Jeffrey and Rhys-Waterfield, is to maintain increase the standard of their new franchise, releasing a brand new, higher and bigger-budgeted Pooh movie every year to make sure it retains its fanbase, whereas on the similar time placing collectively their unlikely universe. 

Talking to The Hollywood Reporter, the 2 mentioned getting Callow on board, how their new monster compares to the unique (clue: it’s not sporting cleansing gloves purchased from the downstairs store and a shirt off Amazon), and the way Jeffrey really got here to play Christopher Robin (and his fears of taking up the position). They’ve additionally given THR the unique — and terrifying — first close-up picture of their new-look Pooh. 

I had thought that each one the noise from the primary Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey had died down, however then it was again within the information just lately when it was by accident performed to 4th grade college students in a college in Florida.  

Scott Jeffrey: The timing of that was so good, as a result of we had our U.S. bodily launch. We’d actually simply launched, and that occurred. 

Are you certain it wasn’t a rigorously orchestrated PR stunt?

Jeffrey: No! We had been really speaking to movie execs, and so they had been saying, “let’s attempt to get the trainer in quantity 3.”

How is the second movie shaping up?

Jeffrey: It really is a lot better. Final yr, we made about 45 movies, and the Winnie-the-Pooh one was only one on a conveyor belt. We simply noticed on Twitter that Winnie-the-Pooh had gone into the general public area and thought “okay cool, we’ll try this in April.” However now we’re able the place the sequel has turned out rather well. We had a considerably increased funds than the primary. And we’ve received a bit drawback in the meanwhile as a result of there are too many deaths in it!

Frake-Waterfield: Quantity two is healthier than primary in each single side. As a result of we’ve gone into this understanding on what platform scale it’s going, whereas within the first one, we didn’t actually have a lot of an thought. We clearly didn’t count on it to go to the lots it did. This time we’ve gone into it understanding that can occur, so much more time could be devoted in direction of it. I’ve not likely labored on anything this yr. And that’s why all areas are actually a large soar up in comparison with the primary. For instance, the look of the creatures is sort of an necessary factor. Earlier than we had a masks purchased on-line, some cleansing gloves from the store downstairs and a pink lumberjack shirt from Amazon. The entire monster was about £630 ($770). However this time we have now folks doing the prosthetics — it’s an organization that has labored on Harry Potter’s Voldemort and Star Wars. They usually’ve been in command of the redesigns of the creature. And that’s why Pooh appears a bit extra scary. There’s an additional stage of element there. 

So if the unique Pooh value $770, how a lot is the brand new one?

Frake-Waterfield: The prosthetics alone for the creatures ended up being over $20,000. So it’s a humongous distinction. However it’s definitely worth the funding as a result of that’s your creature. That’s what individuals are watching horror for. So cost-wise, I’d need to say it’s like most likely over 10 to fifteen occasions the unique.

Is there any concern, now you’re spending much more, that a variety of the success of the primary film was right down to the curiosity issue and which may not keep on by to the second? 

Jeffrey: Yeah, there’s undoubtedly additional stress and further stress. However it’s received a little bit of a fan base now. Individuals message us on a regular basis saying that they actually prefer it and so they need extra content material. However I’m conscious that it does must make a little bit of a soar when it comes to high quality due to the dimensions. So expectations are a bit increased. And folks need to see the franchise progressing so as to make it a long-term horror sequence. It’s repeatedly enhancing.

Scott, you’re additionally enjoying Christopher Robin in Pooh 2. Alongside your low-budget horror filmmaking, you’ve received some strong appearing credit already however what was behind you getting in entrance of the digital camera for this?

Jeffrey: I’ve sort of solely accomplished stylish, severe stuff beforehand — like an indie drama the place I performed a boy on the spectrum, and Malpractive on ITV and Dr. Jekyll developing with Eddie Izzard. So when Rhys requested me to play Christopher Robin, I used to be a bit like “shit.” I wished to do it for Rhys, however that is the primary position the place folks need to be nasty and spiteful about you. As a producer, I don’t care. However as an actor, it’s extremely intimidating going into an area when folks could be horrible. With horror, critics dig into it no matter how good it’s. They only hate the style. 

Talking of your solid, I spat my espresso out once I learn that famous thespian Simon Callow was going to star. How on earth did that occur?

Jeffrey: I’d labored with him on Dr. Jekyll and I actually appreciated him, and when the script took place, I prompt Simon Callow for the position. However I by no means thought he’d actually say sure. However we despatched it to his agent and he learn it and a few week later we received a reply saying “Simon would like to do it.” I bear in mind turning to Rhys and being like “He mentioned sure!”

Frake-Waterfield: He’s so good and has this actually huge dramatic scene with Scott. He actually elevates the movies. 

How is the Bambi slasher, Bambi: The Reckoning, coming alongside?

Jeffrey: We had been really meant to be capturing Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare however we weren’t fairly prepared with the script. I used to be meant to direct Bambi however switched to Peter Pan because it’s extra my model. I’m pushing Peter Pan till April, and Bambi begins capturing in January. So we’re very a lot prepping proper now. It’s going to be wild. 

So you continue to have plans for a low-budget movie universe of kids’s characters gone dangerous?

Jeffrey: That’s undoubtedly the plan. And I need them to work together with each other. There’s going to be easter eggs in Winnie the Pooh 2 about two movies that haven’t been introduced but. Just a bit tiny wink. Similar in Bambi. They’re very a lot linked, but it surely’s not in your face. After which later down the road, I suppose after we run out of concepts, is the place they’ll begin assembly each other.

Given the success of the primary and the actual fact the IP is free to make use of and exploit, have you ever observed any copycats attempting to duplicate what you do?

Jeffrey: Yeah, and it’s been a bit irritating at occasions. However it’s high-quality. What we’re attempting to do is give ours little signature touches and a sure high quality. We actually fought for the funds of Winnie 2, and I do know it’s nonetheless not rather a lot, however I actually need to hold doing that with future movies. We’re not simply going to bash one thing out anymore. We now have to maintain a consistency and solely make stuff we really suppose is an attention-grabbing idea. Winnie-the-Pooh as a slasher is attention-grabbing. And with Peter Pan, we’ve received a Tinkerbell hooked on pixie mud prefer it’s heroin. 

Frake-Waterfield: For our movies to achieve audiences and construct up a universe and hold being theatrical, they must be good. We’ve had different folks attempt to rush stuff out. Final summer time somebody made a Peter Pan horror movie after we introduced ours, and so they had been attempting to make it seem like it was us who had made it. However they simply rushed it out. And that’s not the sport we’re in anymore. You possibly can’t simply smash out a movie in seven days.