Summary. Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey defies expectations with its slasher take on the beloved bear, and the lack of legal action from Disney is surprising. The film's ability to avoid legal repercussions is a testament to its position in the film landscape and the careful navigation of copyright laws by the crew.

Is Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey legal?

The characters' rights had been owned by The Walt Disney Company since 1966 and, while Disney retains exclusive rights to the depictions of these characters from their own franchise, the first Winnie-the-Pooh book went into the public domain in the U.S. on 1 January 2022.

Is Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey getting sued?

Disney's decision not to sue Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey shows how significant the movie is and challenges their reputation for protecting their intellectual property.

Did Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey have permission from Disney?

But on January 1, 2022, Winnie-the-Pooh entered the public domain, as did the characters it contained, which gave writer/director Rhys Frake-Waterfield the legal permission to make his low-budget slasher Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey. And nobody, not even Disney, can stop him.

Did Disney ok Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey?

Is Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey associated with Disney? Despite Milne's 1926 Winnie the Pooh book entering the public domain, Disney still owns exclusive use of their interpretations of Pooh Bear and his friends, according to Variety.

🎶 WINNIE THE POOH: BLOOD AND HONEY THE MUSICAL - Gacha Club Version (GCMV) 🎶

How did they get the rights for blood and honey?

So how exactly did the R-rated Blood and Honey come to be? Although Disney still owns the rights to the animated cartoon versions of Pooh Bear and company, A.A. Milne's 1926 book Winnie-the-Pooh entered the public domain on Jan. 1, 2022. That means that Milne's original story, as well as illustrator E.H.

Does Disney still have rights to Winnie the Pooh?

By 2022, the original Winnie-the-Pooh book entered into the public domain in the United States, since it had been 95 years since the story was first published. While Disney retains certain rights to their derivative works, the company no longer holds exclusive rights to the characters in the US.

Why wasn't Tigger in Blood and Honey?

However, the filmmaker told SFX Magazine: "Tigger, for example, isn't in the public domain. So he wasn't allowed to be used in the story." Tigger's first appearance was in 1928 children's book 'The House At Pooh Corner', which hasn't yet entered public domain.

Why did Disney lose the rights to Mickey Mouse?

According to US copyright law, the rights for a character expire 95 years after the publication of the original work. With Steamboat Willie debuting in 1928, January 2024 marked the expiration date for the short and Disney lost with Mickey Mouse copyright.

Why is Tigger still copyrighted?

While Winnie the Pooh was created in 1926, Tigger did not first appear until the 1928 book by A. A. Milne, The House at Pooh Corner. This explains why the original version of Tigger did not enter into the public domain until today, two years after Winnie the Pooh and the other main characters.

Why was Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey banned?

The censorship is believed to be a result of General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping being compared to the character in internet memes, which the Chinese government perceived as a disrespectful mockery of Xi.

Did Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey flop?

Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey surprised everyone with its spectacular commercial success with a micro-production budget of $50,000. Although it was unable to stay on the critics' good side, film director Rhys Frake-Waterfield didn't take it negatively.

Is Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey disturbing?

Parents need to know that Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey is an extremely gory, low-budget horror movie that takes advantage of the fact that A.A. Milne's original 1926 children's book is now in the public domain (meaning the characters are no longer protected by copyright).

Is Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey ok for kids?

Despite the title of the film including “Winnie the Pooh,” the movie is not suitable for children as it follows Winnie and Piglet on a blood-thirsty rampage after Christopher Robin abandons them for college.

Why did Disney lose Winnie-the-Pooh?

That's because the 1926 storybook, titled Winnie-the-Pooh, which introduced the titular character, passed into the public domain at the start of 2022, voiding its copyright, and thus Disney's media exclusivity over the character.

What happened to Eeyore in Blood and Honey?

Eeyore is featured in the beginning with young Christopher Robin (Frederick Dallaway). Owl and Rabbit are seen with young Christopher Robin, and they are shown to have starved and eaten Eeyore with Pooh and Piglet.

What copyright does Disney lose in 2024?

This brings us to Mickey Mouse. The Steamboat Willie copyright expires in 2024. But Disney still retains trademark rights to use images of Mickey as well as the words “Mickey Mouse” in connection with a variety of products.

Is Disney losing money?

Despite this, Disney+ has burned up more than $11.4 billion of operating losses since it was launched and isn't forecast to even make a profit until the end of the year.

Who owns Disney?

Disney's shares are owned by a mix of insiders, ordinary investors, and institutional investors. Disney's largest individual shareholders are the company's insiders, including the current CEO, Robert Iger, and top managers, such as Brent A. Woodford, Maria Elena Lagomasino, and Mary Barra.

Why did Pooh and Piglet eat Eeyore?

The animals had to resort to savage ways to find food, and since Eeyore was the largest animal before their bodies shrank, Pooh suggested that they cannibalistically eat him to survive.

Who kills Piglet in Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey?

After Piglet killed Zoe with a sledgehammer, Alice took revenge on him by using his own weapon against him. Piglet was repeatedly hit in the face with the sledgehammer, with the half-human half-pig hybrid seemingly letting out his last few cries of agony before dying.

Why did Pooh and Piglet turn evil?

Things take a dark turn, though, when Christopher goes to college, starvation sets in during winter and Pooh, Piglet, Owl and Rabbit kill and eat their buddy Eeyore. The incident essentially breaks them and they become enemies of mankind, making a pact to become feral and never speak like humans again.

Can Disney buy back Winnie-the-Pooh?

Winnie the Pooh is in the public domain

The characters of A. A. Milne's 1926 classic Winnie the Pooh are free to use legally without repercussion. US copyright law means that works of authors are avalable to use either 70 years after the author's death or 95 years after publication.

Can Disney renew Mickey Mouse copyright?

No, Disney cannot renew the copyright for Mickey Mouse.