Audiences best prepare themselves for another trip to the 100-acre wood. Variety reports that Boat Rocker Studios – alongside Shamier Anderson and Stephan James’ Bay Mills Studios – are developing an R-Rated live-action/animated series based on the popular Winnie the Pooh character Christopher Robin. The project is based on the legendary literature from British author A.A. Milne.

Simply titled Christopher Robin – the project follows (per the official logline) “a disillusioned New Yorker navigating his quarter-life crisis with the help of the weird talking animals who live beyond a drug-induced portal outside his derelict apartment complex, the Hundred Acres.” The character Christopher Robin has been subject to live-action adaptation already in recent years, with Disney‘s 2018 feature film Christopher Robin, starring Ewan McGregor in the title role – all grown up and set on a path to reconnect with his talking animal friends. As well as this, the lore of Milne‘s work was unpacked further in director Simon Curtis’ 2017 film Goodbye Christopher Robin, a retelling of creator Milne‘s life with actor Domhnall Gleeson stepping into the author’s shoes. Bay Mills Studios and Boat Rocker Studios‘ collaboration will undoubtedly be an altogether different animal.

The R-Rated Christopher Robin project was written by Charlie Kesslering – who will also executive produce. Conrad Vernon – whose credits include Shrek 2and Sausage Party will also executive produce, as well as direct the pilot. Given the mind-trip, adult-themed animated nature of Sausage Party, Vernon is well-placed to tackle this new project. Nick Nantell – executive vice president of creative affairs for Boat Rocker Studios, Scripted – told Variety how this new Christopher Robin series has stoked excitement and is delighted to be collaborating with Bay Mills Studios; “We’re grateful to be working with the Bay Mills team, Charlie Kesslering, and Conrad Vernon on a project that takes these characters to new, unexpected, and really funny places.”

How Has an R-Rated Christopher Robin Series Come About?

Given the family-friendly nature of the Winnie the Pooh franchise, this new Christopher Robin project may seem at face value to be a knee-jerk step away from the work it’s based upon and the reason that this can come to fruition is due to copyright protection, or the lack thereof. In 2022, the copyright protection on Milne‘s literature ran out, paving the way for creative minds to adapt the work as they see fit and this R-Rated Christopher Robin project follows in the bloodied footsteps of the horror film Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, check out the trailer for the gruesome affair below.

via Collider