Winnie the Poohis one of the most recognizable pop culture figures in the world, alongside Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, and Superman. Created by author A.A. Milne, the character has appeared in a number of stories, and to audiences outside the United Kingdom is most commonly associated with Disney. Disney acquired the licensing rights toWinnie the Poohin 1961 and released a series of short films about the character. Since then, Pooh Bear and his friends have become some of the most recognizable characters in the Disney library, and Disney has capitalized on their popularity. The studio has released six films theatrically and several television series directly based on the characters' adventures. Merchandise for Winnie the Pooh is everywhere and still sells after all these years.
The U.S. copyright onWinnie the Poohexpired at the end of 2021 meaning the character Winnie the Pooh entered the public domain, ending Disney’s exclusivity on the character (although they do own their specific artist depiction). Following the announcement, a low-budgetslasher film titledWinnie the Pooh: Blood and Honeywas put into production. It is likely there will be a number ofWinnie the Poohfeature films in the near future following the character entering the public domain (though it’s worth noting the UK copyright does not expire until 2027, 70 years since Milne’s death). With that in mind, these are all the current theatrically releasedWinnie the Poohmovies ranked.
7Piglet’s Big Movie
Released in 2003,Piglet’s Big Movieis one of three theatrically releasedWinnie the Poohfilms by Disneytoon Studios, a former animation division that specialized in direct-to-video animated projects, some of which occasionally got a theatrical release. After the box office success ofThe Tigger Movie, the studio opted for another big-screen movie based on aWinnie the Poohsupporting character, this time Piglet.
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While maintaining the cute charm in the Disney Pooh stories, the film does feel more like adirect-to-video moviethan a theatrical story, as a bulk of the film tells different stories about Piglet, giving the movie the feeling of various episodes of the popularNew Adventures of Winnie the Poohseries strung together with a framing device. While this was likely an attempt to go back to the roots of the franchise inThe Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, it comes off more as an attempt to hide the fact they couldn’t find a whole narrative as they did with Tigger. This was a trick Disneytoon Studios often employed with direct-to-video films likeTarzan & JaneandAtlantis: Milo’s Return,which were just episodes of the animated series strung together. Still, after so long as a supporting character, it is nice to see Piglet get the spotlight and to highlight that Piglet is braver than he or even the audience might think.
6Goodbye Christopher Robin
The only film on the list not produced by Disney (although technically now is, due to Disney’s acquisition of distributor Fox Searchlight),Goodbye Christopher Robinis a biographical film about author A.A Milne (Domnhall Gleeson) and the story of how the author came up with theWinnie the Poohstory and the relationship between the author and his son, the real-life Christopher Robin. Directed by acclaimed English filmmaker Simon Curtis (My Week With Marilyn),Goodbye Christopher Robinis less a movie about the creation of Pooh Bear and more an exploration of the complicated parent-child relationshipthat stems from building one’s popular character of a real-life child and the impact it has. While it may not get as deep into the conflict as the real-life story, it does touch upon how the books impacted the real-life Christopher Robin. Similar to Disney’s ownSaving Mr. Banks, which featured a reference to Disney’s depiction of Milne’sWinnie the Pooh, both films are about how these simple creations can have large impacts on the world.
5Pooh’s Heffalump Movie
The last Winnie the Pooh movie released in theaters by Disneytoon Studios and the last theatrically released film untilWinnie the Poohsix years later,Pooh’s Heffalump Moviemight not be a groundbreaking film, but it does spotlight a long-overlooked element of the series. TheWinnie the Poohfranchise is one of the few without a villain, although the imaginary threat of Heffalumps and Woozles has hung over the series with a fun sense of danger. However, withPooh’s Heffalump Moviethe franchise finally introduces a new character to the series (a first since Jessie the bluebird inThe New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh) in the form of the baby Heffalump Lumpy and attempts to show that this creature the franchise has used as a monster is just misunderstood.
The central protagonist of the story is Roo who, as the only kid in the 100 Acre Woods cast, in many ways acts as the character kids can latch onto. It is his compassion and innocent worldview that allows for peaceful first contact with a Heffalump and his friendship teaches the others an important lesson in tolerance.
4The Tigger Movie
Released in 2000,The Tigger Moviewas the firstWinnie the Poohmovie released theatrically sinceThe Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, the first Disneytoon Studio film in the Winnie the Pooh franchise, and attempted to break the mold by being a full-length feature film as opposed to a collection of shorts. Originally intended as a direct-to-video movie, the film was bumped up to theatrical after then Disney CEO Michael Eisner heard the Sherman Brother’s songs for the film. It is also notable as this marks Jim Cummings officially taking over the role from original Tigger voice actor Paul Winchell, who left the project due to his voice being considered too raspy.
The Tigger Moviekeeps the same charm as the other DisneyWinnie the Poohstories by being light and charming, but it also adds higher emotional stakes and easily the darkest and most intense climax to any film in the franchise. All theWinnie the Poohfilms are about imparting lessons to young audiences, and withThe Tigger Moviekids are taught an important lesson early on: family is not just blood, but it is the friends in your life that love you.
3Winnie The Pooh
Winnie the Poohfrom 2011 was the character’s grand return to cinema and was only the second time Walt DisneyAnimation made a sequelto one of their classic films, followingThe Rescuers Down Under20 years prior. While it seemed Disney and every other animation studio was going to pivot entirely to CGI,Winnie the Poohwas one more attempt at giving 2D animation a big push. One wonders what might have been had Disney not decided to releaseWinnie the Poohon the same weekend as the finalHarry Potterfilm.
While the movie was a box office disappointment, it received critical acclaim and in many ways is anunderrated gem in the Disney catalog. In many ways, it is an important film for the following decade at Disney, as it was the first time Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez worked with Disney before they’d go on to write the hit songs forFrozen,Frozen 2, and Pixar’sCoco, while director Don Hall would go to co-directMoanaand directBig Hero 6,Raya and the Last Dragon, and the upcomingStrange Worlds.
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An amazing teaser trailer set to Keane’sSomewhere Only We Knowvery much set the tone for the film, a warm nostalgic look back at a childhood icon that older audiences could enjoy like the return of an old friend, while also being a great new entry point for younger audience audiences. With an original songSo Longand a recording of the classicWinnie the Poohtheme by Zooey Deschanel, the film has a kind summer morning glow to it that reminds the audience of what it was like to be a child when the world was much simpler.
2Christopher Robin
Disney has found great success remaking their classic animated films, and it made a certain amount of sense to bring 100 Acre Woods to live-action. 2018’sChristopher Robinstands very much apart from the other Disney remakes. Technically,Christopher Robinis a sequel toThe Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, with the openings being a remaining of that film ending and following an adult Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor) having gotten lost in work and struggling to balance his work and family, all until Winnie the Pooh returns and sends Christopher Robin on a journey back to 100 Acre Wood to find his old friends and also rediscover his youth.
WhileChristopher Robinis a movie kids can enjoy, the film is in many ways targeted at an older audience who grew up withWinnie the Poohin some shape or form in their adolescence. It is a much more melancholy film, touched by nostalgia at the sadness of growing up and losing one’s childhood, and mixes both the classic Disney interpretation of the characters with an aesthetic choice meant to honor the original source material. If 2011’sWinnie the Poohgives the feeling of a youthful summer day,Christopher Robinis a reflection of it, as it has a more washed-out palette meant to signify the passage of time, which has always been the greatest source of conflict in theWinnie the Poohuniverse.Christopher Robinin many ways feels like the nice return of an old friend, and a reminder that sometimes one can go home.
1The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh
Walt Disney’s original plan was always to release aWinnie the Poohfeature film, however, the filmmaker decided to release a series of shorts to familiarize audiences with the characters. The studio released three shorts, 1966’sWinnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree(released shortly before Walt Disney’s death), 1968’sWinnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, and 1974’sWinnie the Pooh and Tigger Too. The three shorts were then collected into a theatrical release, and in 1977 Disney releasedThe Many Adventures of Winnie The Poohas their 22nd animated feature film and included a new ending with Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin to give it a sense of competition.
The Many Adventures of Winnie The Poohstands as one of thebest films released by Walt Disneyanimation, as the film breaks many conventions of Disney animated films. There is no villain in the story, but it is much more a film focused on mood and characterization. That focus on character has been the film’s greatest strength for years, as after all this time audiences still return after all this time.
Audiences may still be hard-pressed to name all seven dwarves inSnow Whiteor the children inPeter Pan, but everyone knows Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore, and the rest of the 100 Acres Woods gang. These characters are all so lovable and well-written that they have been able to tell stories across various series, films, and storybooks. The film’s final moment, of Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin, is a bittersweet goodbye to childhood and works as a beautiful articulation of why this franchise has endured for so long: “Wherever they go, and whatever happens to them along the way. In that enchanted place on top of the forest, a little bear will always be waiting”.
