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In a surprising turn of events, a low-budget horror film featuring beloved children’s characters Winnie the Pooh and Piglet has been crowned the worst movie of the year by the Razzie Awards.

 

Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, a British slasher film made for less than $250,000, gained notoriety in February 2023 for its controversial portrayal of the classic characters as brutal killers. The movie’s release became possible due to the expiration of copyrights on A.A. Milne’s original books, allowing the filmmakers to create a twisted adaptation without fear of legal repercussions from the author’s estate or Disney, which owns the movie rights.

Despite its low budget and unconventional premise, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey managed to generate significant buzz and even provoked death threats from outraged fans. Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield took advantage of the public domain status of Milne’s characters to create a gory, live-action adaptation that strayed far from the innocent and wholesome nature of the original works.

At the Razzie Awards, a parody event that recognizes the worst films and performances of the year, Blood and Honey emerged as the top “winner.” The movie took home the Razzies for Worst Picture, Director and Screenplay, solidifying its status as the year’s most critically panned film. Pooh and Piglet, the once-lovable duo, were also named Worst Screen Couple, and the movie earned an additional Razzie for Worst Remake, Rip-off or Sequel.

While the Razzie Awards serve to highlight the most disastrous cinematic endeavors, the recognition is unlikely to faze director Rhys Frake-Waterfield. Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey grossed nearly $5 million after receiving a global theatrical release, largely due to the controversy it generated. The film’s success even prompted the development of a sequel, set to be released later this month.

Frake-Waterfield’s unconventional approach to adapting classic children’s characters into horror movies sparked both intrigue and outrage. In an interview with AFP last year, the director revealed that he was also working on horror adaptations of Bambi and Peter Pan, indicating that Blood and Honey may just be the beginning of a new trend in low-budget, high-controversy filmmaking.

The Razzie Awards, which have been held annually since 1981, serve as a satirical counterpoint to the prestigious Academy Awards. Announced the day before the Oscars, the Razzies aim to mock the self-congratulatory nature of Hollywood’s biggest night. The awards were first presented in a Los Angeles living room by a group of UCLA film graduates and industry veterans who chose the raspberry as a symbol of derision.

In addition to Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, other notable “winners” at this year’s Razzie Awards include former Oscar winner Jon Voight, named Worst Actor for his role in the critically panned thriller Mercy, and Megan Fox, who took home the Worst Actress award for her performance in the horror-heist movie Johnny & Clyde. Fox, a frequent target of the Razzies, also received the Worst Supporting Actress award for her role in the action sequel Expend4bles, which earned Sylvester Stallone the Worst Supporting Actor award.

The Razzie Awards’ recognition of Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey as the year’s worst movie highlights the growing trend of low-budget filmmakers capitalizing on the expiration of copyrights to create controversial adaptations of beloved characters. While the film’s critical failure is undeniable, its financial success and the promise of a sequel demonstrate that there is an audience for unconventional and provocative horror movies, even if they feature childhood favorites in a gory new light.

With AFP