The Twisted Childhood Universe

The Twisted Childhood Universe
Official franchise logo
Production company	Jagged Edge Productions
Distributed by	Altitude Film Distribution (1) Fathom Events (2)
Release date	2023-present
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

The Twisted Childhood Universe, or The TCU, is a British multimedia franchise and shared universe of independent slasher-horror films, each serving as a dark reimagining of various public domain children's fairy tale media characters. It was conceived and created by Rhys Frake-Waterfield, and produced by the filmmaker's Jagged Edge Productions film studio. The plot centers around beloved childhood characters, and through the storytelling lens of these characters becoming dark murderous monsters.

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. In response to this, Frake-Waterfield stated that he is determined to raise the standard with the future movies in the franchise.

Development

In 2022, after Winnie-the-Pooh entered the public domain, Jagged Edge Productions began production on a horror adaptation.^[1] Upon releasing the first promotional images for the film, the movie became a viral Internet sensation.^[2] After the movie's limited release, it was ultimately deemed a financial success, recouping $5 million from its small budget of $100,000.^[3] Upon the monetary gain, Jagged Edge Productions announced plans to produce a sequel with a higher budget, while also stating that a then-unnamed cinematic universe featuring characters from various children's stories was in development.^[4][5][6][7] In February 2023, it was also stated that the characters in the each of the individual movies will ultimately share the screen in the form of a crossover.^{[4][8][9][10][11]}

In March 2024, Jagged Edge Productions officially announced that the franchise will be titled The Twisted Childhood Universe, while also announcing a full slate of films, culminating in a cross-over movie.^[12][13]

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.^[1] 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.^[2] The movie made $5.2 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 that he wants to "ramp it up even more and go even crazier and go even more extreme".^[15] In November 2022, he announced that 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;^[16] it would later be confirmed that the budget had increased to ten times larger than the first film.^[17] In September 2023, teaser images were released,^[18][19][20] and it was revealed that the film will not feature the same cast as its predecessor.^[21] The sequel began filming in late 2023,^[22] with a limited theatrical run in the U.S. from 26 to 28 of March 2024.^[23] The movie has made $619,124 at the box office worldwide against a budget of roughly $330,000.

Upcoming

Bambi: The Reckoning (2024)

In November 2022, a horror film centered around the

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 franchise. 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 movie is slated for a late 2024 release date.^[26][32][33]

Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble (2025)

In March 2024, the culmination of the franchise in the form of a cross-over film was announced with the official title of Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble. The plot will reportedly include characters from each of the preceding installments, as the murderous versions of characters from childhood' fairytales team-up to hunt down the individual survivors of their massacres and seek to destroy the world in the process. The team of nightmarish monsters will include returning characters Winnie-the-Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, Owl, Bambi, Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, and Pinocchio; while also introducing Rabbit, Sleeping Beauty, and the Mad Hatter to the group. Rhys Frake-Waterfield will serve as director, in addition to producing alongside Scott Jeffrey, and Scott Chambers. The movie is slated to release in 2025.^[13]

Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 3 (2025)

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 Rabbit, as well as the Heffalumps and Woozles.^[34]

Awakening Sleeping Beauty (TBA)

In March 2024, after previously being listed on IMDb as an upcoming film by Jagged Edge Productions for some time,^[35][36] the studio officially confirmed that Awakening Sleeping Beauty is one of the projects being developed for the franchise.^[37]

Other potential projects

Rhys Frake-Waterfield has expressed interest in creating films about Thor,^[38] as well as licensed franchises such as Teletubbies, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,^[39] and The Powerpuff Girls,^[40] although no announcements regarding these franchises have been made.

Recurring cast and characters

Reception

References