Winnie The Pooh: Blood And Honey 2 Cast, Director, Writer, And More Details

As soon as A.A. Milne's beloved children's story fell into the public domain, it was only a matter of time before society did what it does best: completely ruining everyone's childhoods. The horror community, on the other hand, could not have been more blessed. Disney initially held rights to "Winnie the Pooh" and adapted it into delightful children's cartoons. And though they still hold the copyright on their version of the characters, filmmaker Rhys Frake-Waterfield gave Milne's stories a bloody twist with his 2023 version, "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey."

"We knew there was this line between that, and we knew what their copyright was and what they've done," Waterfield told Variety about his film. "So we did as much as we could to make sure [the film] was only based on the 1926 version of it." The low-budget film only reached a few theaters, but spread like wildfire. So successful was its run that a sequel was quickly in the works. Viewers of the original can expect more blood, more guts, and even more disturbing moments.

If the first film's response time to A.A. Milne's story entering the public domain is any indication, the sequel can be expected just as quickly. "Winnie the Pooh" became public on January 1, 2022, and the horror film premiered a year later. Filmmakers are quick to jump on an inspired idea and the same will be the case for the sequel. As reported by Variety, the production is aiming for a release date of February 14, 2024.

"We've finished principal photography and the film is currently in the post-production stages. I'm tidying up the edit and we've got various departments working on it in terms of the music, sound, grade and animation, VFX, all of that stuff," Waterfield told the publication. 

Just in time for Valentine's Day, the sequel to "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey" is perfect for any horror-loving couple looking to spice things up.

In the vein of the first film, Winnie the Pooh is out for blood. After Christopher Robin (Nikolai Leon) abandons his former friends to go off to college, they become ravenous. Without their human friend feeding them, they inevitably turn on each other. Their blood lust only increases, which is why they leave 100 Acre Wood to find more sustenance. This time the titular bear will have more friends to terrorize humanity.

"There's a group of girls in a motor home, they're having a good time and then Winnie the Pooh and Owl turn up and then... they don't have a good time," Waterfield told Variety. The biggest addition to the cast is the appearance of Tigger. Filmmakers were unable to utilize the fan-favorite character because of rights issues. But as of January 1, 2024, Tigger also became public domain. With just a month to spare, "Winnie Pooh: Blood and Honey 2" will be legally allowed to use the character. The character will undergo a grim makeover, just like the rest of the characters.

On account of a budget 10 times that of the original, the sequel will feature more action, gore, and Pooh send-ups. For example, the Pooh creature will wield a flaming chainsaw and characters will play the beloved game of Poohsticks, albeit with dismembered body parts instead of forest floor sticks.

Due to the very nature of how "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey" ended, the sequel necessitates an entirely new cast. The bear in question spends almost 90 minutes taking out virtually every character around him. After confining Christopher Robin and enacting senseless torture on him, Winnie (Craig David Dowsett) and Piglet (Chris Cordell) go off on a rampage on some unsuspecting college students. Though Christopher attempts to save them, all the girls get cut down — as well as Piglet himself.

The second installment will feature an entirely new cast for the forest animals to brutalize. But while Winnie and Christopher are returning, the original actors will not be. Taking over the reins of the hapless human from Leon is Scott Jeffrey, an occasional actor and producer on both "Blood and Honey" films. Ryan Olivia will be taking over the role of the honey-loving bear from Dowsett. The sequel will also feature additional classic characters Owl and Tigger, to be played by Marcus Massey and Lewis Santer, respectively. Fans can additionally look forward to an elaborate backstory featuring Peter DeSouza-Feighoney as Young Winnie the Pooh. Additionally, esteemed, award-winning English actor Simon Callow also filmed scenes as a character named Cavendish.

The creative mind behind "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey," Rhys Frake-Waterfield, was the only choice to helm the sequel. If the filmmaker has anything, it's vision and no one else should tamper with that. Frake-Waterfield surprisingly didn't start in the entertainment industry, and essentially started making movies on a whim after quitting his traditional job at an energy company.

"My partner was in the film industry, so through osmosis [I] started learning about it and getting more and more interested in it," Frake-Waterfield shared with Collider. "Approximately two years ago, I just thought, 'Oh, I'm just gonna give it a go.' I just quit my job and then started doing it."

Partnering with Jagged Edge Productions provided an outlet for many a familiar-themed project. He developed and directed "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey" and is also behind a Bambi project in the same style. After the "Blood and Honey" trailer went viral, Frake-Waterfield considered many avenues, including partnering with studios. But with companies asking for the rights, the director decided against it and distributed the film through Fathom Events. Barely a year later, he has returned to the director's chair for "Winne the Pooh: Blood and Honey 2." With a bigger budget and more gore, Frake-Waterfield wrote the sequel, setting it up for even more success.

Just because "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey" was not officially rated, does not mean that it is meant for general audiences. This lesson is an unfortunate one that many students learned in one Florida classroom when they were accidentally subjected to the film for 30 minutes. This slasher movie soaks Disney characters in blood, and it deserves a hard R more than anything.

By all accounts, the sequel will be just as gory — if not more so — than the first. Because these films are generally straight to streaming, they may not get a rating to slap on a nonexistent box. But parents should be warned, this isn't your typical "Winnie the Pooh" film. The characters are more monstrous and more murderous. If the incident at the Miami charter school is any indication, the sequel will not be for the faint of heart.

There is no doubt that "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey" veers wildly from the source material, but there would be no modern slasher interpretation of the bear without A.A. Milne. A writer and poet active in the 1920s, Milne's most famous endeavors came in the form of children's books. According to biography.com, Milne's first Winnie the Pooh book came out in 1926, followed quickly by another in 1928.

The books followed the adventures of young Christopher Robin, who was named after Milne's son, Christopher Robin Milne. The young boy encounters many animal friends, such as the iconic bear, Piglet, Tigger, and Rabbit. These books were extremely popular and became the subject of Disney films down the road. Winnie the Pooh and his animal friends were animated for the masses, making them an even more significant cultural touchstone. Because of the public domain, "Blood and Honey" takes its material from the original books and images that are not copyritten by Disney. Avoiding the now classic imagery of the bear in his red shirt, the slasher film harkens back to the original source material.

Because "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 2" only takes inspiration from A.A. Milne's books, there is no sense in revisiting them or the Disney interpretations. These works have little bearing on what Rhys Frake-Waterfield's franchise is really about. For those interested in the upcoming sequel, the only film worth watching is the one that started it all. "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey" began Frake-Waterfield's fascination with turning unassuming and innocent public domain sources into something macabre. 

The first film sets up the central conflict of the bear's rage. Even though Christopher Robin tries to reason with his former friend, the damage has been done. Too consumed with the fact that Christopher Robin left, Winnie will continue his rampage in the upcoming sequel. Piglet met his death in the first film, so for those who don't want to miss out on the horned beast of nightmares, watching the original is a must.

"Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey" may be a microbudget horror film that did not get wide distribution, but it isn't impossible to find. Rhys Frake-Waterfield made his distribution deal through VOD, so fans who are so inclined can find the original film. The traumatizing and vicious horror movie is available just about anywhere to rent or buy. But those with a Peacock subscription are in luck. In addition to watching "Parks and Recreation" any time they like, viewers can also watch Christopher Robin get tortured by a violent bear.

With only a 3% on Rotten Tomatoes, this definitely seems to be a situation where you should enter at your own risk. But there can be joy found in an outrageous concept clocking in just under 90 minutes, and "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey" may fit the bill. With an increased budget and much more resources, perhaps the sequel will be an improvement on the first.