Film fans have been left impressed by the release of a first-look trailer for a new horror version of the beloved Disney film Bambi.
A twisted, and blood-soaked, version of the iconic 1942 film is set to be released later this year with the title Bambi: The Reckoning. The film is expected to follow a vengeful adult version of the cute fawn who seeks to hunt down the men who shot dead his mother and exact bloody revenge. The upcoming movie stars Love Island’s Samira Mighty, Joseph Greenwood, Roxanne McKee and Russell Geoffrey Banks.
Fans of the original animated film can expect to see Bambi get his long-awaited revenge on those who killed his mother – while a human mother and son will find themselves inadvertently caught up in the deer’s rampage and fighting for survival. It is unclear if other, demented versions of loveable characters such as Thumper the Rabbit or Flower the Skunk will appear.
Producer Scott Jeffrey has described the project as “an incredibly dark retelling of the 1928 story we all know and love.” And he added that the horror film has taken some inspiration from the 2017 British folk horror film The Ritual which saw a group of men brutally killed by a deer-like monster based on a mythological jötunn monster.
A synopsis for the film states: “Inspired by the animated movie Bambi, it will transform the innocent deer we know into a killing machine.” While the project is also described as “A horror remaining of Bambi.” The atmospheric trailer shows a trio of men practising their shooting skills. A character named Michael asks: “You ever shot a deer?” Tyler replies: “No. Have you?” After a thoughtful pause, Michael then replied: “Yeah, once.”
The footage then continues to show the men practising their shooting while it seems they are being watched. The trailer then cuts to a night scene where Bambi – in fully adult form – furiously flips over a car and then roars at the camera.
Reaction from horror fans has been strong – with many confessing they can’t wait to watch the gristly movie. One fan wrote in a reaction comment on YouTube: “Okay, ngl. Bambi looked pretty badass when flipping over that car.” Another typed: “Epic. I’m here for it.” While another, in disbelief, wrote: “I can’t believe this is actually a thing.”
However, others fear that Bambi and many other favourite films will be tarnished – especially after a similar horror take on Winnie the Pooh was released in 2023. A cartoon fan wrote: “First Winnie the Pooh now this why can’t I leave a childhood memories alone.”
Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey was released to commercial success last year – with the horror film being made possible by the fact that A. A. Milne’s classic novel about the loveable bear entered the public domain. However, the horror version of the character was much less cuddly and amiable. The film – which was made on a budget of $50,000 (£40,000) but made over $5.2 million (£4.1 million) at the box office – depicted Pooh and other characters from the fictional Hundred Acre Wood, as demented mutants that go on a killing spree.
The film was such a success that it spawned a sequel that was released last month to far greater critical acclaim than the first. The filmmakers also have plans to release horror versions of Peter Pan and Pinocchio – with cross-over films including all four characters set to be made in the future.
TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads.
