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The Twisted Childhood Universe (TCU) (also referred to as the Poohniverse), is a British film series and shared universe of independent slasher horror films. It was conceived and created by Rhys Frake-Waterfield, and produced by the filmmaker's Jagged Edge Productions film studio. The films center around characters from children's media reimagined as murderous villains.

The franchise's first installment, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, was met with a negative critical reception and a more mixed fan reception, though it turned a profit at the box office. The movie's quality was called into question, with criticisms directed at the script, acting, cinematography, and lack of humor; it also received five Golden Raspberry Awards. In response to this, Frake-Waterfield stated he is determined to raise the standard with the future films in the franchise. The franchise has grossed over $13 million worldwide.

Development

In 2022, after Winnie-the-Pooh entered the public domain, Jagged Edge Productions began production on a horror adaptation. Upon releasing the first promotional images for the film, the movie became a viral Internet sensation. After the movie's limited release, it was ultimately deemed a financial success, recouping $5 million from its small budget of $100,000. Upon the monetary gain, Jagged Edge Productions announced plans to produce a sequel with a higher budget, while also stating a then-unnamed cinematic universe featuring characters from various children's stories was in development. In February 2023, it was also stated the characters in each of the individual movies will ultimately share the screen in the form of a crossover.

In March 2024, Jagged Edge Productions officially announced the franchise will be titled "The Twisted Childhood Universe" while also announcing a full slate of films, culminating in a cross-over movie.

Films

Released

Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey (2023)

The first film in the franchise, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, follows the characters Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet as murderous, misanthropic villains. The film began development after the original Winnie-the-Pooh book entered the public domain in 2022. Originally slated for an October 2022 release date, the film became viral after its announcement, and increased publicity motivated reshoots and a 2023 cinematic release. The film was released in the United Kingdom on 10 March 2023. It made $5.2 million worldwide on a budget of $100,000.

Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 (2024)

In June 2022, Frake-Waterfield expressed interest in creating a sequel, and stated he wants to "ramp it up even more and go even crazier and go even more extreme". In November 2022, he announced a sequel, titled Winnie-the-Pooh 2, was in development with him returning as director and writer, on a budget five times larger than the previous installment; it would later be confirmed the budget had increased to ten times larger than the first film. In September 2023, teaser images were released, and it was revealed that the film will not feature the same cast as its predecessor. The sequel began filming in late 2023, with a limited theatrical run in the U.S. from 26 to 28 March 2024. The film was also released in the United Kingdom on 7 June 2024. It made $7.5 million worldwide on a budget of $500,000.

Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare (2025)

In November 2022, a horror movie centered around the titular character from Peter Pan and Wendy was announced as being in development; with Rhys Frake-Waterfield and Scott Chambers (aka Jeffrey) once again serving as producers. Chambers was later revealed to be the director from a script he wrote, with the filmmaker stating the movie will take inspiration from a combination of French cinema, High Tension and The Black Phone. The plot centers around Wendy's search for her brother Michael, who has been abducted by Peter Pan and Tinker Bell. Frake-Waterfield stated that Tinker Bell will be "heavily obese and recovering from drugs", while Jeffrey stated the character is "hooked on heroin and convinced it's Pixie Dust". The film was released in the United States on 13 January 2025, and is set to be released in the United Kingdom on 24 February 2025.

Upcoming

Bambi: The Reckoning (2025)

In November 2022, a horror film centered around the titular character from Bambi, a Life in the Woods was announced as being in development. It will be directed by Dan Allen, from a script written by Rhys Warrington. Rhys Frake-Waterfield and Scott Jeffrey will once again serve as producers. The plot follows a woman named Xana and her son named Benji, who must fight to survive when they find themselves as prey to a mutated, grieving, killing machine of a deer following a car wreck. Officially titled Bambi: The Reckoning, the movie will be developed by ITN Studios and Jagged Edge Productions. Jeffrey described the film as "an incredibly dark retelling of the 1928 story we all know and love. Finding inspiration from the design used in Netflix's The Ritual, Bambi will be a vicious killing machine that lurks in the wilderness." The film is set to be released in 2025.

Pinocchio: Unstrung (2025)

In February 2024, it was announced that a horror film centered around the titular character from The Adventures of Pinocchio was in development, while it was also revealed that additional characters from other childhood stories would be revealed as a part of the story. Officially titled Pinocchio: Unstrung, with the release of the first promotional concept art, the plot and the filmmaking crew including the director and the writer were stated to be revealed at a later time. The film will focus on James, the son of Geppetto, who meets Geppetto's magical doll Pinocchio and introduces him to the outside world, but Pinocchio's naïveté gets the better of him and he embarks on a murderous crusade to eliminate all things bad. In November 2024, Robert Englund was cast in a lead role, while Richard Brake was cast as Geppetto. The movie is slated for a 2025 release.

Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble (2025)

In March 2024, the franchise's first crossover film was announced with the official title of Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble, with the font of the title parodying that of The Avengers (titled Avengers Assemble in the United Kingdom and Ireland) from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The plot will include characters from each of the preceding installments, as the murderous versions of characters from children's fairytales team-up to hunt down the individual survivors of their massacres and seek to take over the world in the process. The team of nightmarish monsters will include returning characters such as Winnie-the-Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, Owl, Bambi, Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Hook, Pinocchio, and The Cricket; while also introducing Rabbit, Sleeping Beauty, the Mad Hatter, Cheshire Cat, and others to the cast. Rhys Frake-Waterfield will serve as director, in addition to producing alongside Scott Chambers. In December 2024, Scott Chambers announced that Mary Poppins will also appear in the movie, while the following month he stated that Peter Pan, she, and Mad Hatter will be the three most villainous characters of the film.

Principal photography is scheduled to commence in the summer of 2025, with the film tentatively slated to release in October of 2025; while producer Scott Chambers stated that if production isn't completed within enough time the studio will move its release to the first quarter of 2026.

Other projects in development

Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 3 (TBA)

In March 2024, shortly after the second film's release, it was announced that Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 3 had entered development. The film will have a larger budget than its predecessors and will feature Heffalumps, Woozles, Kanga and Roo. In January 2025, franchise producer Scott Chambers stated that the movie would be a part of the studio's second phase of movies; which will release after Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble.

Awakening Sleeping Beauty (TBA)

After previously being listed on the studio's IMDb production page, Jagged Edge Productions confirmed in March 2024, that Awakening Sleeping Beauty is one of the projects being developed as a part of the franchise. The studio later shared posters for the upcoming installments of the franchise at the Cannes Film Festival, including the Sleeping Beauty movie in May of the same year.

Snow White Returns (TBA)

In May 2024 during the Cannes Film Festival, Jagged Edged Productions revealed the teaser posters for The Twisted Childhood Universe installments; officially announcing Snow White Returns as a part of its lineup.

Alice the Mad (TBA)

In January 2025, Scott Chambers stated that after being featured as one of the primary evils of Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble, the Mad Hatter will feature in an upcoming standalone movie. Later that month, the producer announced the project's official title as Alice the Mad and explained that the project would center around the franchise's version of Alice, who is pursued by an obsessed Mad Hatter because of her work as an escort for an agency named the White Rabbit. The filmmaker stated that the movie will be a part of the franchise's second phase of movies, expressing his intentions to direct, while stating that other horror movies are creative inspiration including Opera, Maniac, and MaXXXine.

Tigger's Return (TBA)

In January 2025, franchise producer Scott Chambers announced a spin-off of the Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey movies as a standalone feature film centered around Tigger, as a part of the studio's second phase of movies. The project will enter begin production following the release of Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble. The producer explained that the audience's reception to the character as the reason the character will get his own installment.

Untitled Mary Poppins film (TBA)

In January 2025, franchise producer Chambers announced that as a part of the franchise's future slate of films, Mary Poppins will receive a standalone movie following an introduction in Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble; while also stating that the story will depict the character as a kidnapper.

Untitled Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare sequel (TBA)

In January 2025, writer/director Scott Chambers announced plans for a sequel to Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare; acknowledging that its realization is dependent on the first movie's box office performance. The filmmaker stated that he had completed the script and that the plot would explore the reality that though the first film depicts Neverland as something that Peter Pan explores while he is under the influence of drug abuse, the sequel would reveal that it is a real location within the continuity of the franchise.

Reception

Box-office performance

Critical and public response

References

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• Film
• United Kingdom
• Speculative fiction/Horror
• Fantasy
• 2020s

• The Twisted Childhood Universe
• Shared universes
• Mythopoeia
• Mass media franchises introduced in 2023
• Film series introduced in 2023
• Horror film franchises
• British film series
• Horror films based on children's franchises
• British slasher films