Florida fourth graders expecting to have a fun movie day at school were instead traumatized as they watched one of the most lovable characters turn in to a murderous savage.
Students in one class at the Academy of Innovative Education in Miami Springs were shown the slasher film “Winnie the Pooh: Honey and Blood” by a math teacher on Monday Oct. 2 for nearly thirty minutes before it was shut off after several of the children complained.
The movie is a sick, twisted adaptation of the beloved childhood character turned into a monster after his friend Christopher Robin heads off to college.
One mother, who’s twins were in the class, was left dumbfounded by the teacher’s decision to show the movie.
“I feel completely abandoned by the school,” Michelle Diaz said to CBS Miami following a meeting with the school’s principal.
The teacher didn’t immediately stop the movie after the more terrifying scenes began.
“They were exposed 20 to 30 minutes to a movie called ‘Winnie the Pooh, Honey and Blood,’ ” Diaz said
“He didn’t stop the movie, even though there were kids saying, ‘Hey, stop the movie, we don’t want to watch this’,” she added.
The mother also claimed some kids were seriously affected.
“It’s not for them to decide what they want to,” she added. “It’s up to the professor to look at the content.”
The movie, which has an NR rating for not rated, was decided upon after the teacher allowed the students to choose, according to Diaz.
The Academy of Innovative Education is a K-12 Miami-Dade County Public Schools Charter but does not fall under the the city’s school rules so has full responsibility of the personnel they hire, according to CBS.
In the gory movie, the once beloved children’s book characters turn into bloodthirsty animals seeking food after their friend Christopher Robin grew up.
“After Christopher Robin abandons them for college, Pooh and Piglet embark on a bloody rampage as they search for a new source of food,” the movies plot reads on it’s IMDb page, which gives the 2023 film a 2.9 out of 10 rating.
On January 1, 2022, the first Winnie the Pooh book written by A.A. Milne entered the public domain, lapsing the copyright on the characters and five months later director Rhys Waterfield began production on the horror film.
In March, cinemas in Hong Kong stopped showing the movie prompting censorship concerns in the city.
“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 Head of School Vera Hirsch said in a statement to CBS. “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,” she added.