A horror film in which Winnie the Pooh and Piglet become psychopathic killers has been voted the worst film of 2023 by the Razzie Awards, popularly considered the anti-Oscars. This year’s list of winners includes Jon Voight, Megan Fox (twice) and Razzie legend Sylvester Stallone, who won his twelfth award.
Far from what it may seem, being part of such an ignominious list can turn a rubbish movie into a business and turn a supposedly bad actor into a legendary one.
Winnie the Pooh: Honey and Blood was filmed with a budget of less than $250,000 but grossed almost $5 million in its world premiere in theaters thanks to the controversy it generated. And the sequel is ready for release next April. The harvest of Razzies achieved today will increase the profits of the first and serves as publicity for the launch of its sequel.
The film, directed by Rhys Frake-Waterfield, made headlines last year for the impact it had on fans of the cuddly bear popularized by Disney who, outraged, issued death threats against the authors on social networks.
If the adventures of Winnie and her companions (Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger) have been the subject of a Disney license for decades, the legal protection of Milne’s first books, published in 1926, has already expired.
Therefore, the original character became public domain, allowing for this nightmarish adaptation.
Not only was it voted the worst film of the year, but it also won awards for worst director and worst screenplay.
Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield explained last year to the AFP agency that he was also considering adapting “Bambi” and “Peter Pan” to the horror genre.
The Razzies, a parody of the Oscars, were created in 1981 and are announced each year the day before the Hollywood Film Academy Awards.
This year, actor Sylvester Satllone won again (and now there are twelve), this time as worst supporting actor for his role in Expend4bles. The award for worst leading actor went to Jon Voight for the film Mercy. Although the worst stop has been the actress Megan Fox, twice awarded as worst leading actress and, also, supporting actress, for her performances in Johnny
