Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey producer Scott Chambers (aka Scott Jeffrey) has confirmed that Alice in Wonderland will form the basis for one of the next Twisted Childhood Universe movies. Following the widespread attention garnered by 2022’s Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey from director Rhys Frake-Waterfield, a direct sequel and a slew of spinoff movies set within a shared cinematic universe were quickly announced. In addition to Chambers stepping in to replace Nikolai Leon as Christopher Robin in this year’s Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2, he also wrote and directed the upcoming spinoff Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare.
During a recent Q&A on Chambers’ Instagram account, the filmmaker was asked what movie he plans to direct after Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare’s scheduled 2025 release. Responding with a title card revealing the name Alice & The Mad Hatter, Chambers suggested that that would likely be his next project. This latest announcement also serves to expand the ever-growing list of TCU projects, which has plans for horror movies based on both Bambi and Pinocchio, as well as a crossover project and a Blood and Honey threequel. Check out his response below:
What Alice in Wonderland’s Inclusion Means For The Growing Poohniverse
Dark Takes On Lewis Carroll’s Stories Have Been Done Before
Despite being lambasted by critics and attracting a mixed reception from seasoned horror audiences, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey proved to be profitable enough to warrant Frake-Waterfield and Chambers’ grand schemes for a shared cinematic universe. Where once the exclusive rights to adapt A.A. Milne’s classic children’s tale had been owned exclusively by Disney, Frake-Waterfield was able to capitalize on the original 1926 book officially entering the public domain on January 1, 2022.
It was this timeliness, along with the shocking juxtaposition between the wholesome Disney versions of the characters, that ultimately led to the kind of widespread attention that helped deliver Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey the financial success necessary to continue their shared universe. Similarly, it was Milne’s follow-up book, The House at Pooh Corner, entering the public domain in January this year, that allowed the addition of Tigger’s character to the sequel.
Even Zack Snyder would try his own hand at adapting the material, using it as inspiration for his critically maligned 2011 outing
Sucker Punch
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In stark contrast, however, Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland entered the public domain as far back as 1907, and the decades that followed have already seen several dark reimaginings. From the 2010 low-budget horror Alice in Murderland to last year’s Alice in Terrorland and Tim Burton’s Disney-produced Alice in Wonderland reimagining, Lewis’ classic children’s tale has already lent itself to countless horror and dark fantasy films. Even Zack Snyder would try his own hand at adapting the material, using it as inspiration for his critically maligned 2011 outing Sucker Punch.
Our Take On The TCU’s Alice & The Mad Hatter
Chambers Won’t Have The Benefit Of Blood And Honey’s Shock Factor
As a low-budget horror franchise, the core appeal of the rapidly expanding TCU has largely been based on its shock factor. In the years that Disney retained exclusive rights to Winnie the Pooh and his fellow creatures from the Hundred Acre Wood, no one was able to even attempt what Jeffrey and Frake-Waterfield accomplished once the source material entered the public domain. However, while the decision to turn to Alice in Wonderland may lend itself well to the horror genre, it will be much harder for Jeffrey to differentiate his own take from the countless others that have already gone before him.
Source: Scott Chambers/Instagram
