Winnie The Pooh: Blood And Honey 3's Controversial Writer Raises All Kinds Of Questions

One of the most unlikely success stories in film in recent years is undoubtedly "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey." Directed by Rhys Frake-Waterfield, the ultra-low-budget slasher movie, which put a violent spin on A.A. Milne's beloved creations, went viral before the movie even arrived. It took off like a rocket, spawning an entire so-called Twisted Childhood Universe from the folks at Jagged Edge Productions. Part of that includes "Blood and Honey 3," which has just brought aboard a new, albeit controversial, screenwriter.

According to Variety, Richard Stanley ("Hardware," "The Island of Dr. Moreau") has been tapped to pen the script for "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3," which is set to begin filming early next year. Scott Chambers, who produced the first two movies, is now set to direct the third installment, with Frake-Waterfield staying on board as a producer. The new entry is also said to carry a bigger budget than the first two, and Jagged Edge is using some of that budget to bring Stanley on board. It's a decision that raises a great many questions.

Stanley is something of an indie film legend who, at one point, was very respected. He made a big comeback with "Color Out of Space" in 2020. However, Stanley was accused of domestic abuse in 2021 by his former partner Scarlett Amaris. In a blog post at the time, she detailed instances of alleged physical abuse by Stanley, resulting in injuries such as bruises, sprained fingers, marks on her throat, and even a concussion.

While Stanley denied the claims made against him, he has largely not worked in Hollywood since the accusations were made. SpectreVision, which produced "Color Out of Space," cut ties with Stanley and vowed to donate future revenue from the film to charities devoted to stopping domestic violence. So, why would Chambers and Frake-Waterfield bother courting any controversy with a budding franchise by hiring Stanley? That's the biggest lingering question.

For Stanley, the motivations are clear: He wants to get back into filmmaking, and A-list jobs with big studios are very clearly still off the table. So of course he would take the opportunity to write "Blood and Honey 3," as these movies have garnered a lot of attention. And, not for nothing, "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 2" was seen as a major improvement over its predecessor. So, why not get in while the tide is rising? Stanley had this to say about it:

"I am wildly excited to be joining Scott Chambers and his creative team as screenwriter on the mind-wrenching third installment of a beloved, blood-soaked saga that has revitalized independent genre film production in the U.K. The hundred acre wood will never be the same again!"

But the folks at Jagged Edge Entertainment have truly begun to make a name for themselves, releasing other movies like "Bambi: The Reckoning" and "Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare" recently that further expanded the scope of the franchise. Why on Earth would they hire an accused abuser when their stock is on the rise? Even setting aside any very obvious moral objections one would rightfully have, it makes no business sense. In short, it makes no sense no matter how one wants to spin it. The only attention Stanley brings is bad attention. It's a baffling move. Chambers, for his part, had this to say about it:

"I've always been a huge fan of 'Color Out of Space' and all of Richard's work. Now, with the third installment underway, I can't wait to see his wild new vision come to life. Work has already begun — and it promises to take everything to an entirely new level."

Aside from the forthcoming sequel, the studio is also getting ready to enter production on "Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble," which will bring together characters from many of these Twisted Childhood Universe movies under one roof. Again, the studio has big ambitions, and now they're courting controversy for no good reason, which could threaten their budding reputation in Hollywood. This feels like an unforced error. 

"Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3" doesn't currently have a release date, but stay tuned.