Bambi: The Reckoning is the latest entry in the Twisted Childhood Universe, which began in 2023 with Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey. The new film will be a horror-inspired take on Disney’s classic Bambi story, directed by Dan Allen with a script by Rhys Warrington. The story of Bambi: The Reckoning centers around a mutated deer who embarks on a journey of revenge.

The trailer for Bambi: The Reckoning promises something veering far away from the animated movie, using the same bloody gore and supernatural atmosphere that made Blood and Honey such a widely discussed project upon its release. Bambi: The Reckoning will also lead directly into next year’s upcoming team-up event, Poohniverse: Monsters ᴀssemble.

Speaking with ScreenRant‘s Grant Hermanns, Dan Allen confirmed that Bambi won’t be the only familiar character in his twisted Disney adaptation. While Bambi: The Reckoning will obviously be very different from Disney’s Bambi, the filmmaker shared that they included some minor references and returning characters that audiences should recognize. Check out Allen’s comments below:

We really wanted to include the rabbits as a fun, collective threat in there. There’s another slight nod, as well, to Flower on the computer screen at one point, although it’s a slightly different creature, but, yeah, that’s in there, as well. So, it’s a nod, but it’s not a definite.

What Dan Allen’s Comments Mean For Bambi: The Reckoning

The Director Is Paying Homage To The Disney Original

The Poohniverse has never taken itself particularly seriously, and it’s this willingness to play around with the continuity of the classic films that makes its entries so fun on the surface. They’re certainly not concerned with staying true to the source material, but Dan Allen’s comments prove that there’s at least some level of authenticity to his Bambi adaptation.

And it’s not just Flower who makes a subtle appearance in Bambi: The Reckoning. The director also confirmed that one of the rabbits (“the first one, which is also the one that’s in right at the end“) could potentially be Thumper, although “none of it’s explicit.” While these references are just Easter eggs for now, they could end up being more important in the upcoming Poohniverse team-up movie.

Our Take On Bambi: The Reckoning’s Disney References

Allen Clearly Understands What Makes These Horror Remakes So Fun

Ultimately, Bambi: The Reckoning has a very fine line to walk between retelling the story of Bambi and separating itself from the Disney movie to forge its own idenтιтy as a horror movie. Including some familiar characters but never explicitly naming them as Thumper, Flower, etc., seems like a very efficient way of doing this.

The Poohniverse has received mixed reviews so far, but most critics can agree that these projects are at their best when they fully lean into the horror genre and don’t try too hard to replicate the Disney stories. Dan Allen seemingly understands this, so there’s some real potential behind Bambi: The Reckoning.