Bambi: The Reckoning – A Horror Twist on a Disney Classic
First there was Winnie the Pooh, now horror film makers have turned their attention to everyone’s favorite Disney deer, Bambi. The animated classic filled with frolicking woodland creatures has been transformed into Bambi: The Reckoning, a slasher extravaganza.
The Poohniverse Expands
Joining the so-called ‘Poohniverse’, an ominous version of the young deer seeks revenge on the hunters who shot his mother in the Disney classic. Everyone remembers the heartbreaking realization that our hero was now an orphan but some were clearly more scarred than others.
Teaser Trailer and Plot Details
Umbrella Entertainment has released the first teaser trailer for their latest horror, off the back of Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 — which was critically panned. In the dimly lit forest, a bird is tied to a tree with two hunters attempting to improve their aim as one asks: ‘You ever shot a deer?’. ‘No. Have you?’ the second hunter replies, to which his companion admits: ‘Yeah, once.’ The trailer cuts to a furious stag charging at a car and flipping it, effortlessly, with its antlers before growling menacingly.
While a full synopsis is murky, the main plot is said to follow Xana (Roxanne McKee) and her son Benji (Tom Mulheron) after a car wreck leaves them hunted down by ‘vicious killing machine’, Bambi. ‘Coming soon’ promised the minute-long teaser, with Bambi: The Reckoning slated to be released later this year.
Expanding the Multiverse
Director Dan Allen previously shared: ‘It’s gonna be terrifying. When people see a deer in the wild after this film they’re gonna run for the hills.’ The classic tale comes from Felix Salten’s 1923 novel Bambi, a Life in the Woods, but this horror version reimagines the deer as part of a multiverse of retellings.
Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare and Pinocchio Unstrung will be the next to join the Poohniverse, with sights set on an Avengers style meet up. The Mad Hatter, Sleeping Beauty, and more characters from Winnie the Pooh will appear in the Twisted Childhood Universe for Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble.
Disney’s Horror Expansion
Also entering the horror realm is Disney’s beloved Mickey Mouse as Steamboat Willie version of the mascot entered the public domain on January 1, 2024. Mickey’s Mouse Trap was intended to be released in March but has not yet hit viewers after a dramatic trailer dropped on New Years Day.