Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble Will Unite Horror Versions Of Winnie The Pooh, Bambi, Peter Pan & More
Ah, the magic of the public domain. The arch nemesis of studios and corporations and copyright lawyers everywhere is nothing but a boon to the rest of us, allowing literally anyone to get their hands on famous properties and shamelessly twist and pervert them beyond all recognition. (Flagship DC character Superman is heading towards the same fate in 2034, though the results will be somewhat more complicated.) That's precisely what happened with the beloved character of Winnie the Pooh just over two years ago, allowing for a slew of knockoff (and frankly terrible) B-movie horror flicks like "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey" and its upcoming sequel. Well, things are about to kick into another gear entirely as an entire shared universe is apparently now in the works.
Just when you thought it was safe to visit the Hundred Acre Wood again. In the bloodiest and most un-family-friendly news we'll probably get this week, Variety revealed that the creative team responsible for "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey" is now set to inflict their childhood-ruining brand of horror on a much larger scale. Move over, Marvel Cinematic Universe, because there's a new game in town. May we introduce you to the "Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble," the schlocky shared universe that will unite beloved animated characters like Winnie the Pooh, Bambi, Tinkerbell, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, Tigger, Piglet, The Mad Hatter, and Sleeping Beauty — or, rather, their bloodthirsty, serial-killer versions — in an unholy union of bad taste and uninhibited imagination run amok.
What a time to be alive.
Prepare for Monsters Assemble in Poohniverse
There's bad taste and then there's ... whatever this is supposed to be. In the most extreme expression of artists taking back a slice of IP for themselves, the creators behind the bloodiest and most horrific version of Winnie the Pooh we've ever seen are coming back for more, and this time they're setting their sights on the whole shebang. Horror partners Jagged Edge Productions and ITN Studios are once again teaming up for an "Avengers"-level extravaganza with all the children's characters currently available to them with "Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble." The crossover will be preceded by a slew of standalone movies to be released in the coming year, including "Bambi: The Reckoning," "Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare," "Pinocchio Unstrung," and this month's "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey" sequel. Jagged Edge co-founder Scott Chambers explained in a statement:
"As horror fans, we would love an 'Avengers' that is all villains. It'd have Freddy Krueger, Jason, 'Halloween,' 'Scream,' all of those. Obviously that will never happen, but we can make it happen in our own little way, and that's where [Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble"] has been born."
The hackiest and most low-budget cinematic universe you'll ever see will apparently involve a storyline loosely described as "...the monsters team up to take on the survivors from the previous films," leading to a "monster vs monster" grudge match that will surely become a midnight screening staple for a very specific brand of moviegoer. Chambers will reprise his role from the "Winnie the Pooh" movies as Christopher Robin, joined by Megan Plactio as Wendy Darling, "Game of Thrones" actor Roxanne Mckee as Xana, Lewis Santer as Tigger, and more to be revealed. Expect "Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble" to hit theaters sometime in 2025, for better or worse.