Winnie the Pooh to make comeback in new book

by James Quilter , Brand Republic 12-Jan-09, 09:40

LONDON - An authorised sequel to AA Milne's 'The House at Pooh Corner' is to be released in October, over 80 years after the last 'Winnie the Pooh' story was published.

Egmont Publishing, which is releasing 'Return to Hundred Acre Wood', hopes it will become a hit with kids ahead of Christmas.

The new book, which follows on from 'The House at Pooh Corner' that was published in 1928, has been accepted by the estates of Milne and the story’s original illustrator EH Shephard.

Neither Egmont or the estate will receive any knock-on revenues in terms of merchandising from the bear's comeback as the rights have been owned by Disney since 1961.

The studio has also used its movie rights to release 16 films around Pooh and other characters in the book. These include 'The Tigger Movie' (2000) and 'Pooh's Heffalump Movie' (2005).

The new story is written by David Benedictus who has worked on a number of audio adaptions of 'Winnie the Pooh' stories.

Observers believe Benedictus faces a challenge moving the story forward as Milne dropped hints in this book that its main character Christopher Robin was starting to grow up.

Comments

Amod Munga - 12/01/2009

"Observers believe Benedictus faces a challenge moving the story forward as Milne dropped hints in this book that its main character Christopher Robin was starting to grow up." Oh d-d-d-d-dear. Is this going to be another Sebastian Faulks type of abomination? Next think you know, Paddington Bear will choose Marmite over marmalade...