The Twisted Childhood Universe (TCU) is about to expand even more with the addition of Bambi: The Reckoning, a dark reimagining of the classic deer tale that transforms the gentle, doe-eyed fawn into a bloodthirsty force of vengeance. We finally have an official release date, and Bambi is set to stalk U.S. theaters this July. The exact release date is Friday, July 25, 2025, so make sure to mark your calendars. This twisted take on a childhood classic is one horror event you won’t want to miss!
Bambi: The Reckoning serves as the fourth movie in the TCU, coming after Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare, which gave the iconic storybook character a terrifying horror makeover as he abducts children and turns Neverland into a deadly nightmare. Dan Allen directed this live-action Bambi horror movie from a script written by Rhys Warrington. In addition, Rhys Frake-Waterfield and Scott Jeffrey (Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey and Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2) produced the film.
Bambi: The Reckoning is not based on the 1942 Disney animated classic but instead takes inspiration directly from Felix Salten’s original 1923 coming-of-age novel, offering a far darker and more sinister interpretation. In the Disney version, Bambi’s story is a gentle tale of growth and friendship, whereas this new film plunges into a haunting narrative of revenge and primal terror.
Similar to the Disney film, Bambi loses his mother in this dark retelling, but rather than withdrawing into innocence, he becomes a relentless predator, transforming the forest into a nightmarish battleground where no one is safe. He wants justice or vengeance for the loss of his mother, and he'll stop at nothing to hunt down those responsible. Bambi looks quite different in this horror film as well. He's no longer the gentle, wide-eyed fawn we remember. Instead, he's a large, mutated deer with sharp teeth that can easily tear through flesh and bone. You don't want to be caught in his crosshairs!
Here's what the movie is about via IMDb:
"After a mother and son get in a car wreck, they soon become hunted by Bambi, a mutated grief-stricken deer on a deadly rampage seeking revenge for the death of his mother."
Roxanne McKee (Hollyoaks, Game of Thrones) plays the role of the mother, Xana, while Tom Mulheron (Casualty) portrays Xana's son, Benji. The rest of the cast is made up of Nicola Wright, Samira Mighty, Alex Cooke, Russell Geoffrey Banks, Catherine Adams, Ewan Borthwick, and others.
Bambi: The Reckoning arrives in U.S. theaters on July 25. Don't forget to save the date!