The Hundred Acre Wood has seen some pretty unsettling things over the years. A honey jar shortage. Rather blustery days. The omnipresent threat of a Heffalump.

But in a new microbudget R-rated horror film, Pooh wades into far darker territory than even Eeyore could have ever imagined. After 95 years of saying things like B次元官网网址淎 hug is always the right size,B次元官网网址� Pooh B次元官网网址� newly freed from copyright B次元官网网址� is now violently terrorizing a remote house of young women.

Countless cherished characters have passed into public domain before, but perhaps never so abruptly and savagely as Pooh.

Pooh, Piglet, Kanga, Roo, Owl, Eeyore and Christopher Robin all when the copyright on with illustrations by E.H. Shepard, expired. Just a year later, Pooh and Piglet can now be found on a murderous rampage in nationwide movie theaters B次元官网网址� a head-spinning development thatB次元官网网址檚 happened faster than a bear could say B次元官网网址淥h, bother.B次元官网网址�

Depending on how you look at it, B次元官网网址淲innie the Pooh: Blood and HoneyB次元官网网址� is either a crass way to capitalize on a beloved bear or an ingenious bit of independent filmmaking foresight. Either way, itB次元官网网址檚 probably a harbinger of whatB次元官网网址檚 to come.

In the next 10 years, some of the most iconic characters in pop culture B次元官网网址� including Bugs Bunny, Batman and Superman B次元官网网址� will pass into public domain, or at least their most early incarnations. Some elements of Pooh are still off-limits, like his red shirt, since they apply to later interpretations. Tigger, who debuted in 1928B次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淭he House at Pooh Corner,B次元官网网址� isnB次元官网网址檛 public until 2024.

Many have next Jan. 1 circled. ThatB次元官网网址檚 when the original version of Mickey Mouse, from becomes public domain. It will be open season on the face of the Walt Disney Co. B次元官网网址� or at least that early whistling variety of Mickey.

Pop culture, as a concept, was born in the 1920s, meaning many of the most indelible B次元官网网址� and still very culturally present B次元官网网址� works will fall into public domain in the coming years. There will be all kinds of new and unlikely contexts for some of these characters. Some could be wonderful, some schlocky. But B次元官网网址淲innie Pooh: Blood and HoneyB次元官网网址� may just be a taste of whatB次元官网网址檚 in store.

B次元官网网址淲hen Superman and Batman fall into the public domain, thereB次元官网网址檚 going to be some wild films, IB次元官网网址檓 sure of it,B次元官网网址� says B次元官网网址淲innie the Pooh: Blood and HoneyB次元官网网址� writer, director and co-producer Rhys Waterfield. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 going to be so many different and cool unique iterations coming off that. I might do one.B次元官网网址�

Though made for less than $100,000, B次元官网网址淲innie the Pooh: Blood and HoneyB次元官网网址� will open Friday on some 1,500 screens in North America, an unusually wide release for such a little-funded movie. ItB次元官网网址檚 already made $1 million in Mexico and has many more international territories booked. For Waterfield, a British film producer of direct-to-DVD titles (credits include B次元官网网址淒inosaur HotelB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淓aster KillingB次元官网网址�), itB次元官网网址檚 already a hit way beyond expectation.

B次元官网网址淚 kind of thought this could do a small theatrical run in some places and do quite well commercially,B次元官网网址� says Waterfield. B次元官网网址淏ut itB次元官网网址檚 blown up way beyond that to a scale thatB次元官网网址檚 absolutely insane.B次元官网网址�

In a 2012 study of entertainment franchises by Statista, Winnie the Pooh tied Mickey Mouse for No. 3, trailing only Pok茅mon and Hello Kitty. And unlike them, Pooh accounts for a veritable religion for his kind-hearted witticisms and contented spiritual outlook. Pooh is as much as a gentle sage as he is a round-tummied toon. When Waterfield realized Pooh was entering public domain, B次元官网网址淚 had a spark in my eye,B次元官网网址� he says.

Here was much-coveted intellectual property that could sell just about any film. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e never met anyone that doesnB次元官网网址檛 know who Winnie the Pooh is,B次元官网网址� Waterfield said in a recent phone interview speaking from Amsterdam.

But certainly, not everyone has been so happy about the idea of one of the most benevolent bears turning feral monster. Waterfield says he receives daily messages telling him heB次元官网网址檚 evil, and even some death threats. One person said they were calling the police.

B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檝e got to be pretty thick-skinned to do a movie like this,B次元官网网址� Waterfield says. B次元官网网址淚t baffles me. People think making an alternative version of him is somehow infiltrating their mind and destroying their memories. When I get claims that I ruined peopleB次元官网网址檚 childhoods, IB次元官网网址檓 genuinely confused. I just kind of brush it off and carry on making more of them.B次元官网网址�

Waterfield is already planning sequels with Peter Pan, Bambi and many more. (The Felix Salten book B次元官网网址淏ambi, A Life in the WoodsB次元官网网址� also became public domain last year.)

Jennifer Jenkins, is used to operating in a relatively quiet and byzantine realm of copyright law and thorny rights issues. She writes But nothing has caused her phone to ring off the hook quite like B次元官网网址淲innie the Pooh: Blood and Honey.B次元官网网址�

The movie has clearly touched a nerve; millions have watched its trailer online. (Typical comment: B次元官网网址淚 canB次元官网网址檛 believe that this movie is real.B次元官网网址�) And Jenkins, a firm believer in the long-range benefits of public domain, has been somewhat bemused by the storm kicked up by a movie like B次元官网网址淲innie the Pooh: Blood and Honey.B次元官网网址� She compares public domain issues like these to the way free speech is a right, regardless of whether you agree with whatB次元官网网址檚 said.

B次元官网网址淪ome uses of public domain material will be welcome to some and disturbing to others,B次元官网网址� Jenkins says. B次元官网网址淏ut I donB次元官网网址檛 think new content uniformly saps the value of the original work. I have the original books. I adore them. The fact that this slasher film is out there has no effect whatsoever on how I feel about A.A. MilneB次元官网网址檚 original creation or E.H. ShepardB次元官网网址檚 pencil sketches.B次元官网网址�

ItB次元官网网址檚 worth noting that much of the Disney empire was, itself, built on public domain. B次元官网网址淏eauty and the BeastB次元官网网址� comes from Jeanne-Marie Leprince de BeaumontB次元官网网址檚 1756 version of the fairy tale. B次元官网网址淪leeping BeautyB次元官网网址� came from Charles PerraultB次元官网网址檚 1697 fairy tale. B次元官网网址淎laddinB次元官网网址� comes from the folk tale collection B次元官网网址淭he Book of One Thousand and One Nights.B次元官网网址�

Though Jenkins canB次元官网网址檛 think of too many characters who had such a jarring entry to public domain as Pooh, films like B次元官网网址淧ride and Prejudice and ZombiesB次元官网网址� (2016) and the 2021 book B次元官网网址淭he Great Gatsby UndeadB次元官网网址� are reference points.

B次元官网网址淧eople love adding zombies to public domain works,B次元官网网址� says Jenkins.

To her, B次元官网网址淲innie the Pooh: Blood and HoneyB次元官网网址� may not be the most glorious example of the effects of public domain, but itB次元官网网址檚 part of a process that human creativity depends upon and thrives on. B次元官网网址淏lood and HoneyB次元官网网址� may not make a lasting mark in the Hundred Acre Woods, but something, someday will. Chalk it up to growing pains.

B次元官网网址淭he fact that some people may be disturbed or revolted by this particular re-use of some of the characters from Winnie the Pooh doesnB次元官网网址檛 detract from the value of the public domain,B次元官网网址� says Jenkins. B次元官网网址淭his is how people throughout history have created. TheyB次元官网网址檝e always drawn on or been inspired by earlier works. Time will tell with this movie or any other reuse of Winnie the Pooh and Piglet whether movies like this will be rewarded in the marketplace or have any enduring appeal.

B次元官网网址淢y thing is always: Time will tell.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址擩ake Coyle, The Associated Press