The creator of a Winnie the Pooh-inspired slasher movie says he hopes to create an entire universe of twisted childhood-character horror movies.
The long-lasting yellow bear discovered itself within the headlines final yr when it was introduced {that a} horror film primarily based on AA Milne’s traditional was coming to cinemas.
Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey has been a shock success, already scoring a killer response in Mexico, the place it earned $US1 million in a matter of days forward of its world theatrical launch on February 15.
The movie, set to reach in theaters down below on February 16, is poised to terrify Australian audiences.
Now the movie’s creator, Rhys Frake-Waterfield, says he desires to make extra films primarily based on beloved childhood tales and create his personal twisted horror universe.
Within the public area
In case you are questioning how this all happened, no, Disney hasn’t misplaced its marbles.
In reality, this was all as a result of Winnie the Pooh’s unique supply materials entered the general public area.
In response to US copyright regulation, works enter the general public area 95 years after they’re revealed, that means they’re now not coated by mental property rights.
From January 1 after the conclusion of their 95th yr they’ll function the muse for brand new artistic works, together with films and TV exhibits.
Frake-Waterfield, who wrote and directed Blood and Honey, says he plans to base extra horror tasks on kids’s classics.
Final yr, he instructed The Hollywood Reporter {that a} movie was within the works primarily based on JM Barries’ novel Peter and Wendy, revealed in 1911. The movie, which has the working challenge Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmarewill apparently function a “closely overweight” Tinkerbell “recovering from medication”.
Now, in a brand new interview, Frake-Waterfield has revealed Bambi will likely be his subsequent endeavour, due to Felix Salten’s 1923 novel Bambi, a Life within the Woods getting into the general public area in 2022. The English translation of the story was revealed in 1927, explaining the 2022 expiry.
The e book was initially revealed in 1923 in German, that means the copyright in Austria and the European Union truly expired a couple of years earlier, in 2016.
Frake-Waterfield says he is aiming to create a complete horror universe, by which characters from his movies will work together with one another.
“The thought is that we’ll try to think about they’re all in the identical world, so we are able to have crossovers,” he mentioned.
“Folks have been messaging saying they actually need to see Bambi versus Pooh.”
Watch the trailer for Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey
Disney’s biggest worry
All of the aforementioned works would have develop into public area within the US a lot earlier if Disney hadn’t lobbied Congress and pursued authorized motion to guard its most iconic character.
In fact, we’re referring to the face of the Home of Mouse, Mickey Mouse himself. The long-lasting character first appeared in Steamboat Willie again in 1928, that means his time is up on January 1, 2024.
The world’s favourite rodent was initially meant to develop into public area again in 1984, when US copyright regulation acknowledged that copyright expired after 56 years.
After a lot lobbying and to be able to defend Disney’s animations, Congress handed a brand new act that will defend works for 50 years after the dying of the work’s writer.
This was prolonged once more on account of new laws in 1997, that means Mickey can be locked up till 2024.
Who is aware of – Disney might very nicely make one other enchantment to Congress to increase Mickey’s copyright once more – though it’s operating out of time.
And, if we’re being sincere, Disney would solely be delaying the inevitable. 12 months by yr, Disney can even lose the copyright to its different iconic characters.
Members of the Magic Kingdom gang, together with Pluto and Donald Duck, will develop into public area by 2030 if US copyright regulation stays as it’s.
And Disney’s first function movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfscould have its copyright expire on January 1, 2033, because it got here out in 1937.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBgghnQF6E4
However there’s a silver lining for Disney. Solely the unique model of Mickey Mouse, as he seems in Steamboat Willie, will likely be up for grabs. Meaning any of the character’s distinguishing options added after 1928 will assure ongoing safety.
Within the 1928 iteration, Mickey had a lot smaller toes – his massive yellow boots not but a part of the character – and he was in black and white, so not but carrying his crimson overalls.
The ever-changing Mickey
He additionally wasn’t carrying his white gloves, nor does he say a phrase all through your entire brief, that means his shrill, high-pitched voice might additionally stay out of attain.
Plus, Disney additionally holds emblems on its characters. In contrast to copyright, emblems do not need an expiration date.
Which means filmmakers hoping to make use of Mickey in any future tasks should be extraordinarily cautious.
Anybody who decides to make use of the 1928 Steamboat Willie Mickey might want to be certain that it doesn’t suggest in any manner that their challenge is related to Disney.
In the event that they use Mickey in a manner that makes individuals consider Disney, the Home of Mouse might argue its trademark has been violated.
The sport’s afoot for Sherlock Holmes
It is not solely Disney that faces dropping the copyright to its most iconic characters.
DC Comics, the primary rival to Disney’s Marvel Leisure, will lose the copyright for 3 of their hottest comedian e book characters, Superman, Batman and Surprise Girl. They made their first appearances in 1938, 1939 and 1941 respectively, with Superman the primary of the trio to enter the general public area on January 1, 2034.
Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Case-Guide of Sherlock Holmes additionally had its copyright expire in January, regardless of a long-running copyright dispute.
And in 2025, spinach-chomping sailor Popeye can even enter the general public area within the US.
Different notable expirations developing are the 1931 movie Frankenstein (2026) and 1933’s King Kong (2028), together with Flash Gordon and Donald Duck, who debuted in The Sensible Little Hen (each revealed in 1934 and on account of expire in 2029).
However that is to not say there aren’t already a plethora of public area characters up for reinterpretation.
Creatives have already got entry to the unique e book variations of Tarzan, Ebenezer Scrooge, Robin Hood and Dracula, simply to call a couple of.
And since Greek mythology and literature has been round for 1000’s of years, characters like Heracles (renamed Hercules by the Romans), Achilles, Zeus and Hades are already free for the taking.
