Richard Stanley Joins Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 3 for a Wilder, Bloodier Hundred Acre Wood

Visionary horror writer Richard Stanley steps into Pooh’s slasher saga for the third, and possibly strangest, installment yet.

The honey just got a whole lot bloodier—horror fans, brace yourselves: Richard Stanley, the visionary behind Color Out of Space, has officially signed on to write the script for Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 3. This low-budget slasher series, famous (and infamous) for transforming beloved childhood icons into brutal killers, is stepping up its game for the next round. If you’ve been watching the Twisted Childhood Universe blossom, you know Stanley’s addition is a wild, ambitious move.

Richard Stanley Steps Into the Hundred Acre Bloodbath

Stanley is no stranger to cosmic terror and psychological unease. In 2019, he brought Lovecraft’s “Color Out of Space” to neon-soaked life, earning critical acclaim along with a reputation for warping the familiar into the deeply unsettling. Now, as he turns his pen toward Christopher Robin’s old friends, expectations (and audiences’ morbid curiosity) are sky-high.

“It’s a beloved, blood-soaked saga that’s revitalized indie horror in the UK,” Stanley said in his announcement. “The Hundred Acre Wood will never be the same again!”

Franchise Foundation: From Joke to Juggernaut

Let’s rewind for a sec. When Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey first dropped in 2023, most people thought it was a meme—until it pulled in $5 million globally on a shoestring budget of less than $50,000. The public domain’s quirkiest horror success, the movie transformed Pooh and Piglet into relentless killers on a rampage, sparking worldwide buzz (and plenty of raised eyebrows from childhood purists).

The second film upped the ante, snagging a reported $500,000 budget, improved creature effects, and a more ambitious scope. With this leap, it raked in a much tastier $7.5 million at the box office—not bad for a franchise that started as a viral oddity. Each entry seems to grow in both ambition and audience.

Shaking Up the Formula: New Blood in the Crew

With Stanley now on script duties, the third installment aims even higher. Scott Chambers, who produced Parts 1 and 2, is sliding into the director’s chair for this round. Rhys Frake-Waterfield, the creator and director-in-chief of the first two movies, is focusing on production—a creative shuffle that signals a fresh approach.

Scott Chambers didn’t hold back about his excitement: “I’ve always been a huge fan of ‘Color Out of Space’ and all of Richard’s work. His wild new vision for Pooh is already taking shape—and it’s pushing everything to a whole new level.”

You can bet Stanley’s taste for the weird, the grotesque, and the cosmic will leave a mark. If “Blood and Honey 3” draws from the disturbing atmosphere and surreal visuals of his past work, get ready for a Pooh slasher unlike anything you’ve seen.

What’s Next in Pooh’s Splatter-Filled Universe?

Details on the plot are still under wraps, but when Variety first broke the news, they teased a few delicious morsels. “Blood and Honey 3” is expected to have a bigger budget and bring in more familiar Pooh-verse faces—look for twisted takes on Rabbit, the elusive heffalumps, and the eerily ambiguous woozles.

Behind it all is Jagged Edge Productions, the UK team betting big on nostalgic horror remixes. They’re not just stopping with Pooh. The so-called Twisted Childhood Universe is expanding like a tidal wave through pop culture:

• Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare got its time in the unsettling spotlight earlier this year.

• Bambi: The Reckoning hit cinemas in July and will hit VOD at the end of August.

• The big crossover event, “Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble,” is set to unite your childhood faves (or nightmares)—the shoot begins in March.

This interconnected web of public-domain icons gone bad is one of the most ambitious indie horror moves in years. Think of it as the MonsterVerse… if the monsters were your old stuffed animals, now out for blood.

Why This Matters for Indie Horror

There’s something especially wild about how the “Blood and Honey” franchise exploded. Aside from the meme magic, the series has showcased what’s possible when you blend viral marketing, super-low budgets, and a ridiculous-high concept. Indie filmmaking has rarely been so… inventive.

Stanley’s involvement is a sign the series is getting serious about craft as well as gore. “Color Out of Space” didn’t just look fantastic—it made Lovecraft work for a modern audience, which is no small feat. If he brings even a fraction of that visual panache (and existential dread) to Pooh’s world, the third installment could actually surprise naysayers and convert genre skeptics.

Not Just for Laughs: The Gold Standard for Weird Franchises

While it’s easy to joke about a slasher Pooh, there’s real creativity in how Jagged Edge and now Stanley are subverting familiar icons. These films are about more than just silly violence—they’re about taking the sacred and making it scream. It’s a brilliant mix of lowbrow fun and sly pop culture commentary.

The series’ evolution from goofball internet bait to box office force is giving new hope (and models) for indie filmmakers everywhere. If you have a wild idea, a shoestring budget, and the nerve to go viral, there’s a path from cult oddity to mainstream hit.

Who’s Involved

• Writer: Richard Stanley (Color Out of Space, Hardware, The Island of Dr. Moreau)

• Director: Scott Chambers

• Producer: Rhys Frake-Waterfield (stepping aside from the director’s chair for this one)

• Production Companies: Jagged Edge Productions

• Sales: ITN Studios and Premiere Entertainment

Looking Ahead: Questions & Theories

So, what do you want out of “Blood and Honey 3”? A more Lovecraftian Hundred Acre Wood? More monsters, more gore, or maybe some unexpectedly touching moments of horror? Did you dig the first two—or are you just here to see the latest pop culture train wreck?

Production for the third installment is slated to kick off in early 2026. Until we get more details, your best bet is to revisit “Color Out of Space” and the first two “Blood and Honey” films. And keep your eye on the horizon for “Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble”—this saga just keeps getting weirder.

For more updates on weird and wonderful horror news, make sure you’re following us at Horror Movies Uncut. And if you’ve got theories or want to vent about public-domain slashers, hit our general discussions forum.

Takeaway: With Richard Stanley joining “Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 3,” horror fans are in for something even stranger, bloodier, and more ambitious than before. The Twisted Childhood Universe is just getting started, and this team has proved—twice—that you can turn just about any idea into a genre sensation if you do it with enough guts and style.

Stay tuned. If you thought Pooh was scary before, wait until the Stanley version shows up next year.