In recent years, Jagged Edge Productions has gained attention by remaking characters from public domain children’s literature into horror films. Their latest work, ‘Bambi: The Reckoning,’ has released a teaser trailer. The trailer depicts an eerie atmosphere where a stag flips a vehicle and roars like a tiger.
Originally, ‘Bambi’ was a poignant story about a young fawn who loses his mother to human hunters and grows up in the wild. However, in this horror version, Bambi appears as a “vicious killing machine” seeking revenge. The tension is palpable in the trailer, especially with the line, “Have you ever shot a deer?”
Jagged Edge Productions’ horror series first made waves with ‘Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey,’ and its sequel ‘Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2’ has already been released, with a third installment in production. Additionally, there are plans to remake other public domain children’s literature characters, such as Peter Pan and Pinocchio, into horror films. In 2025, they plan to release ‘Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble,’ which will feature a crossover of these characters.
This method of turning public domain characters into horror films is an intriguing attempt to reinterpret classic works from a new perspective. From a copyright law viewpoint, creatively utilizing works that have entered the public domain presents an interesting phenomenon at the intersection of law and art.
As characters become freely usable due to expired copyrights, various forms of remakes and reinterpretations are expected. The challenge for creators will be how to maintain the charm of the original while offering a fresh perspective. ‘Bambi: The Reckoning’ serves as an example of this approach.
It will be fascinating to see how bold approaches like those of Jagged Edge Productions evolve and continue to surprise audiences in the future.
