Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey is the first horror film that turned a beloved children’s story into a slasher horror film. And this is just the beginning, as the film’s director announced that he has plans to do the same to Peter Pan. Hollywood is apparently going through a trend lately, where it takes existing titles and gives them a reboot, whether that may be a spin-off series or a sequel. But no one dared to take these existing titles and give them a new, unexpected twist — until now.
When it comes to these children’s tales, they’re actually much darker than you think. From Cinderella’s sisters cutting their feet off just so the shoe would fit, to the original tale of Black Swan, these fairytales have sinister origins. And it wasn’t until Disney decided to take these stories and give them a child-friendly transformation that became the cemented stories that we’re more aware of. Since most of these stories are in the public domain, there’s nothing stopping anyone from following in the footsteps of Rhys Frake-Waterfield.
So, here are 10 children’s tales that can be turned into horror stories.
1. The Little Mermaid
Do you know what the original story of The Little Mermaid was? The mermaid was offered to kill the prince after she turned human and found out that he loved someone else. Unfortunately, she chose not to and is then turned into sea foam. This horror version of this fairytale classic is not about a mermaid in general, but a horror story near the bay or lake.
In the original tale, a group of boys goes to a camping ground or beach house during spring break. There, stories are told about a girl who was assaulted long ago and is now back due for revenge. Each night, the boys see a silhouette of a girl near the water, luring them with her voice. Curious, they approach her, only to be almost drowned by this creature. This girl torments them, turning the water into blood, and manipulating them into staying by mimicking the voices of their partners or siblings. Twisted stuff, indeed.
2. Snow White
This horror film will not focus on Snow White herself, but rather on the magic mirror the queen uses. This girl picks up a cursed mirror that shows her what she desires and hints at how she could obtain it. It starts off innocent, such as forgiving her friends and being able to stand up for herself. But little by little, the magic mirror corrupts her, whispering dark thoughts to corrupt her pure heart, slowly turning her into a monster. She wants to look away, but it’s addictive as it lures her to poison her lover, thinking it would win his heart.
3. Swan Lake
The story of Swan Lake is already a horror story in itself. It’s about a queen who’s cursed to transform into a swan. She meets her true love during his hunting trip, but was unable to get the happy ending she deserves. The horror adaptation of this tragic tale could have a similar setup. A boy meets this young girl and is suddenly attracted to her. Little does he know that this person has an obsessive nature to the point where she’d do anything to get close to him. As the two continue to get close, everyone is sense something is off with the girl, only to be murdered the next day. The guy eventually finds out, and let’s just say, the girl does not take it well.
4. Princess and the Pea
A horror version of Princess and the Pea could be about a party game gone wrong. A group of young adults guesses what’s underneath their mattress, only for someone to sabotage the game. Each night, blood, body parts, and other horrific things are found in their beds, and they have to guess who the suspect is. Bodies of their decapitated friends are also discovered as they attempt to find a way out and stop the killer.
5. The Giving Tree
This children’s story is about a young boy that took advantage of a tree as he grew older. So what if the tree fought back? The horror interpretation of this film could be about this haunted forest that was meant to be cleared for deforestation. Each day, one of the workers is suddenly murdered, with the body emerging at the work site. Since the council wants it cleared out, they are forced to suffer and witness, and hear their colleagues die each time. It turns out the mayor or the guy in charge of the clearing had a history in the forest, where he took advantage of someone and accidentally killed them there.
6. The Tortoise and the Hare
We barely get horror stories about a sports team. It’s usually about the lives of everyday people gone wrong. So, this children’s tale could be a horror film about an athlete with murderous tendencies. Obsessed with winning, this one athlete would do anything to win but doesn’t know it as he does it in his sleep. Meanwhile, a sports journalist who used to be in their school’s track team investigates these random murders before the Olympic qualifiers, only to be targeted by the murderous athlete. This journalist has to be quick on their feet in order to survive.
7. Rapunzel
Imagine a young family who moved into this brand new house and hear voices every night. The house wasn’t advertised to have an attic, so it’s currently unknown what’s going on. Each night, the screams and noise get louder as the house’s structure weakens, making it unsafe. Eventually, one of the children decides to investigate, only to discover a dead body hidden in the roof’s structure. This creature attacks, claiming that she’s free. This girl transforms into an evil beast as she begins to cause a rampage. There is a reason why this beast is trapped in the house’s roof in the first place.
8. Pinocchio
Pinocchio is a story about a puppet who wants to be a real boy. So, the horror story version of this fairytale could be somewhat similar to every other horror story involving a doll or a toy. Pinnochio is a toy of a young boy who suddenly died due to a disease. The parents understandably grieved and the mom hopelessly wished he was still alive.
For some reason, the toy comes to life, killing random kids in the middle of the night. At the climax, this Frankenstine-like doll covered with skin and body parts from its victims comes to life, trying to be the replacement child for this family. The parents are terrified and this doll’s catchphrase would be: “Be careful of what you wish for.” Think about it.
9. Alice in Wonderland
Alice In Wonderland could receive a Flatliners meets Coraline approach if turned it into a horror movie. A girl who’s depressed decides to take drugs so she can receive the ability to become a lucid dreamer. She hates her reality, so she finds some sort of escape in this dreamworld that she calls “wonderland.” But things eventually take a turn for the worse when she decides to overdose, and this dreamlike state ends up becoming a nightmare. She has to fight the phantoms in her mind whilst unresponsive as she’s now trapped in this mental prison.
10. Hansel and Gretel
A horror version of Hansel and Gretel could be a slasher flick, but somewhat reversed. Instead of young people being terrorized, it’s the elderly. It’s about a retirement home that is secretly haunted. It is said that children who suffered abuse from their parents growing up are sent here as some sort of revenge. Eventually, it is revealed that Hansel and Gretel are the manifestations of these children’s anger, who come to haunt and scare these old people. It’s up to these people to learn from their abusive mistakes and realize how terrible people they were to their children.
Some children’s tales are there to tell life lessons. Meanwhile, others are there to entertain the audience. While these characters are usually known to cater to the younger generation, it takes a creative person to use these stories and make them their own.