The latest beloved childhood character being transformed into a nightmare creation by the Twisted Childhood Universe (TCU) is none other than our favorite magical nanny, Mary Poppins. When she makes her TCU debut, it will be as a "kiddy snatcher."
That tidbit comes from a new interview with franchise producer Scott Chambers. Chambers also wrote and directed Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare, which will be released in select theaters from January 13-15. Chambers also played Christopher Robin in Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey and its sequel.
Chatting with Comic Book, Chambers says that Mary Poppins will be a villainous child kidnapper in her own horror movie. Considering that Chambers' version of Peter Pan envisions the "Lost Boy" as a child abductor, it makes sense that he believes the two "are going to get on like a house on fire."
Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble will be the franchise's first crossover movie. It will be an Avengers-style event featuring team-ups between the primary villains of the universe, such as Winnie-the-Pooh, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, and Tinker Bell.
Interestingly, Chambers listed Mary Poppins as one of the franchise's "worst of the worst" villains, and it sounds like she'll be working alongside Peter Pan and the Mad Hatter. Mary Poppins and Mad Hatter will appear in the Poohniverse movie and will receive official introductions later "in their own films."
He didn't say much else about what Mary Poppins will be like in the movies, apart from being a kidnapper, but anyone who cherishes the original 1964 film might want to steer clear unless you're okay with your beloved childhood hero getting turned into something beyond recognition.
Of the Poohniverse film, Chambers says he wants it "to be wild" and to kill off several characters. No one is safe.
"I want it to be nasty. Anyone you get attached to and you’re getting fond of, don’t trust that they’re going to survive. As a storyteller, I don’t like stuff where no one dies and there’s no stakes."
Poohniverse is expected to release in 2025 along with other TCU films like Bambi: The Reckoning and Pinocchio: Unstrung. None of these movies have release dates yet, but since Peter Pan is out this month, we can probably assume the others will follow that and the big crossover movie will come after the rest.
And the films and characters listed above are just what's coming out this year. The TCU has a lot more in store for fans, with a Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare sequel already in the works along with another Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey. Other characters receiving horror movies include Snow White and Sleeping Beauty.