Altitude Film Distribution/Peacock
A fourth-grade teacher in Miami is facing backlash from parents after showing his class the 2023 horror slasher film Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey. The film was reportedly shown to the students on Monday, October 2.
Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, which was made after the 1926 Winnie-the-Pooh book entered the public domain in January 2022, follows murderous versions of Pooh and Piglet as they terrorize a group of college women.
According to Michelle Diaz — a parent of one of the students at the Academy of Innovative Education in Miami Springs — the unnamed teacher “didn’t stop the movie, even though there were kids saying, ‘Hey, stop the movie, we don’t want to want this.'”
Diaz told CBS News Miami that the class “were exposed 20 to 30 minutes to a movie called Winnie the Pooh: Honey and Blood,” which they apparently chose themselves.
“It’s not for them to decide what they want to. It’s up to the professor to look at the content,” she said.
In a statement, the Academy of Innovative Education says that they’ve taken appropriate action with the educator, although they did not say what that action was.
“The Academy for Innovative Education has become aware that a segment of a horror movie was shown to fourth graders, Monday, October 2, 2023, that was not suitable for the age group,” the statement said.
“Our administration promptly addressed this issue directly with the teacher and has taken appropriate action to ensure the safety and well-being of students. We are actively monitoring the students and our mental health counselor and principal have already met with those students who have expressed concerns.”
Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, which was shot for just $100,000 and was released in February of 2023, has just a 3% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and is currently streaming on Peacock.
Check out the official trailer for Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey below.