Cannes: ‘Bambi’ Slasher Adaptation From ‘Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey’ Creators Sells Wide (Exclusive)

A low-budget, X-rated cinematic universe of bloody adaptations of beloved childhood stories is taking (twisted) shape.

Bambi: The Reckoning, from the producers of Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey (which grossed more than $6 million globally after going viral), has sold to a number of international territories, with hopes that it can achieve a similar success to their first microbudget slasher sensation. The plot is set to involve a mutated killer deer in the vein of Cujo.

Premiere Entertainment has licensed rights involving theatrical components to the creature feature in Mexico and Latin America (Cinemex), Germany and Italy (Plaion), France (Crome Films), Benelux (Movie Company), Scandinavia (Njuta Films), Russia/CIS (Voxell Films), Australia and New Zealand (Umbrella), Japan (Hark), Taiwan (AV-Jet), Middle East (Eagle Films), Turkey (BG Film), Pakistan (Cine Entertainment), India and airlines (PictureWorks).

Bambi: The Reckoning is based on the title character created by Felix Salten in his 1923 coming-of-age novel Bambi, a Life in the Woods, which has now entered the public domain. Scott Jeffrey is directing and producing with Rhys Frake-Waterfield for Jagged Edge Productions, while Stuart Alson and Nicole Holland serve as executive producers for ITN Studios.

ITN will handle distribution in North America, with principal photography scheduled for the summer.