The Twisted Childhood Universe (TCU) (also referred to as the Poohniverse), is a British film series and shared universe of independent slasher horror films, each serving as a dark reimagining of public domain classic characters from children's literature. It was conceived and created by Rhys Frake-Waterfield, and produced by the filmmaker's Jagged Edge Productions film studio. The movies through the storytelling lens of horror depict these characters as murderous monsters; Winnie-the-Pooh, Peter Pan, Bambi, and Pinocchio have been featured, with others planned.
Although franchise's first instalment titled Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, was met with negative critical reception, it turned a profit at the box office. The film's quality was called into question, with criticisms given to the script, acting, directing, and cinematography; it also received five Golden Raspberry Awards. In response to this, Frake-Waterfield stated he is determined to raise the standard with future movies in the franchise. The Twisted Childhood Universe has grossed over $18.8 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 $7 million from its small budget of $50,000. 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 shared-universe franchise will be titled "The Twisted Childhood Universe" while also announcing a full slate of films, culminating in a cross-over movie. Scott Chambers compared the franchise in contrast to The Conjuring Universe, with intended plans being that each film has different tones, stating: "Every time you watch one of those films, they've got the same tone, the same vibe, all that sort of thing. Whereas in ours, it's not like that. If you don't like one of them, you may actually like the next. So for example, if you don't like the campiness of the Winnie-the-Pooh films, you may actually like Pan because it's actually a lot more grounded, a lot more serious and disturbing. Then if you don't like that, you may like Pinocchio because he's wearing skin, running around killing people with his nose. I think there's a lot of fun to be had."
Films Released
+Overview of films in The Twisted Childhood Universe Film U.K. release date Director Screenwriter(s) Producers Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey Rhys Frake-Waterfield Scott Chambers and Rhys Frake-Waterfield Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 Rhys Frake-Waterfield Matt Leslie Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare Scott Chambers Bambi: The Reckoning Dan Allen Rhys WarringtonPinocchio Unstrung Rhys Frake-Waterfield
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.
Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey was released in the United Kingdom on 10 March 2023. It made $7.7 million worldwide on a budget of $50,000.
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 instalment; 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 the film will not feature the same cast as its predecessor. The sequel commenced principal photography in late 2023.
Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 received a limited theatrical release in the U.S. from 26 to 28 March 2024; and a theatrical release in the United Kingdom on 7 June 2024. It made $7.6 million worldwide on a budget of $500,000.
Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare (2025)
In November 2022, a horror movie revolving around the title character from Peter Pan was announced as being in development; with Rhys Frake-Waterfield and Scott Chambers once again serving as producers. Chambers was later announced 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 centres on Wendy's search for her brother Michael, who has been abducted by Peter Pan and Tinker Bell. Frake-Waterfield stated Tinker Bell will be "heavily obese and recovering from drugs", while Chambers stated the character is "hooked on heroin and convinced it's Pixie Dust". Chambers revealed in June 2024 that the film would tonally be "extremely darker" than the Blood and Honey films, dealing with themes of child abduction.
Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare was released in the United States on 13 January 2025, and in the United Kingdom on 24 February 2025. It made $1.6 million worldwide on a budget of £250,000–£310,000.
Bambi: The Reckoning (2025)
In November 2022, a horror film centered on the titular character from Bambi, a Life in the Woods was announced as being in development. It was directed by Dan Allen, from a script written by Rhys Warrington. Rhys Frake-Waterfield and Scott Chambers once again served 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 was developed by ITN Studios and Jagged Edge Productions. Chambers 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." Allen in April 2025 revealed the film would be themed around the "loss of innocence" and the "death of childhood."
Bambi: The Reckoning was released theatrically on 25 July 2025 in the United States by Seismic Releasing, and in the United Kingdom on 15 August 2025. It made $1,085,640 worldwide on a budget of £250,000–£325,000.
Pinocchio Unstrung (2026)
In January 2024, it was announced a horror film centered around the titular character from The Adventures of Pinocchio was in development. With the release of the first promotional concept art, the project was officially titled Pinocchio Unstrung. The film focuses on James, the grandson of Geppetto, who meets Geppetto's marionette puppet named Pinocchio, that through magical means is alive. Introducing him to the outside world, the naïveté of Pinocchio sends him on a murderous crusade to eliminate all things he interprets as bad. In November 2024, Robert Englund was cast as the Cricket, while Richard Brake was cast as Geppetto. The director described the film as a "dark coming-of-age story told from the puppet's perspective: a creation struggling for autonomy while manipulated by the sinister forces around him, from Robert Englund's sinister "Jiminy Cricket" to Richard Brake's obsessive Geppetto".
Pinocchio Unstrung had its world premiere at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival on 11 April 2026, and was released in the United States on 24 July. It was previously stated to be released in 2025.
Upcoming
+Overview of planned films in The Twisted Childhood Universe Film U.K. release date Director Screenwriter(s) Producer(s) Status Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 3 rowspan="2" Scott Chambers Richard StanleyScott Chambers & Rhys Frake-WaterfieldPost-productionPoohniverse: Monsters Assemble Rhys Frake-Waterfield Rhys Frake-Waterfield & Scott Chambers Pre-production
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 include the Heffalumps and the Woozles. In January 2025, franchise producer Scott Chambers stated the movie would be a part of the studio's second phase of movies; which will release after Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble. By April 2026, however, the film was stated to be releasing before Poohniverse. By August 2025, it was reported that Chambers would direct the film, from a screenplay by Richard Stanley. In March 2026, Roger L. Jackson was cast as the voice of Rabbit. Chambers and Lewis Santer will reprise their roles as Christopher Robin and Tigger, respectively, while George Montague replaced Ryan Oliva as Winnie-the-Pooh. Stanley in May 2026 revealed that he was cast as Balthazar Von Woozle, the film's main antagonist. In July 2026, it was revealed by Chambers that the film would serve as a prequel to the first two films, set sometime after the first movie’s prologue and before the present day storyline.
In April 2026, one of the official social media pages of the franchise announced that an adaptation of The Little Mermaid will feature in the movie as a part of the Woozle's Circus. Principal photography was tentatively scheduled for that month, while an official production announcement teaser debuted on April 23, which was the first day of filming. Filming eventually concluded in May.
Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble (TBA) 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 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 instalments, 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 Mary Poppins will also appear in the movie. The following month he stated she, Peter Pan, and Mad Hatter will be the three most villainous characters of the film. In January 2025, one of the franchise's official social media pages announced that the French-Belgium comic strip character Tintin will appear in the film after his earliest incarnations entered the public domain on January 1, 2025. Frake-Waterfield in June 2026 described the film as "kooky, crazy and fun," and expressed belief that they were "the first people to ever have a film like this in the horror world."
Principal photography is scheduled to commence sometime in 2026. Frake-Waterfield expressed hope that they would start filming either in late 2026 or early 2027.
Other projects in development