According to horror lore, a sequel can never surpass the greatness of its original counterpart. However, experience has taught us that’s not always true… Especially if the original wasn’t so good to begin with.
2023’s Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey was hailed as “one as the worst films ever made.” The Rhys Frake-Waterfield helmed production was maligned for its lack of production values and slated for turning a beloved children’s character into a blood-thirsty slasher.
Blood and Honey took home five gongs at that year’s Golden Raspberry Awards, including “Worst Picture.” Subsequently, the film garnered a pitiful 3% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a 2.9 rating on IMDb, and only 16% on Metacritic.
Despite all of this, the film was unquestionably a success, earning $5.3 million on a mere $100,000 budget. So, a sequel was quickly produced.
However, to everyone’s surprise, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 has been hailed as quite the improvement over its Razzie winning predecessor. With an increased budget, many have noted the film looks considerably better and has a marked improvement in horror set pieces.
Released on March 26th 2024, the sequel initially scored a rare 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, that has subsequently fallen to 53%, still 50% greater than the original.
Elsewhere Blood and Honey 2 also topped the original’s IMDb score, with an impressive 6.5 out of 10 average. IGN gave the sequel an identical rating, noting it as an “unquestionable improvement.”
So, could things be turning around for Pooh bear? Will he become the next slasher movie heavyweight? We highly doubt it, but with this sequel being a step in the right direction, a third outing is almost guaranteed.
