Horror legend joins twisted Pooh sequel

The honey is turning blood-red again. Filmmaker Richard Stanley, best known for cult hits like 'Color Out of Space' and 'The Island of Dr. Moreau', has been tapped to write 'Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 3', the latest in the viral slasher series that reimagines AA Milne's beloved bear as a hulking, sledgehammer-swinging killer.

Production is set to begin in early 2026, with ITN Studios and Premiere Entertainment handling sales. Jagged Edge Productions returns to spearhead the sequel, with Scott Chambers stepping into the director's chair while Rhys Frake-Waterfield produces.

Stanley, a cult horror figure with a flair for surreal and disturbing visuals, says he's ready to push the franchise into even darker, stranger territory. "The hundred acre wood will never be the same again," he teased.

The first 'Blood and Honey' became an unlikely 2023 sensation, made for less than $50,000 and grossing over $5 million worldwide. The 2024 sequel upped the ante with a $500,000 budget, improved prosthetics from artists who worked on 'Harry Potter' and 'Star Wars', and a redesigned monster — ultimately earning $7.5 million globally.

This third chapter promises not just more carnage but also a bigger mythology. Chambers has confirmed the inclusion of new characters from the original Winnie-the-Pooh stories, including Rabbit, the heffalumps, and the woozles.

Fans can also expect the film to tie into the expanding "Twisted Childhood Universe," which already includes 'Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare' and 'Bambi: The Reckoning'. All these properties are expected to collide in the upcoming crossover epic 'Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble', set to shoot in March.

If Stanley delivers on his reputation for the bizarre and the brutal, 'Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 3' may be the most unhinged installment yet.