That maniacal laugh. The deranged grin. The sick pleasure at torturing others. He’s Woody Woodpecker, beloved icon of childhood for decades. Hah-hah-hah-HAH-hah!

Woody’s getting a new lease on life with a brand new movie coming to home video next year. The trailer came out earlier this week. It is a live-action version of the material, with an impish, cartoon Woody interacting with flesh-and blood human beings. Take a look.

The formula is still there: Woody is an irrepressible scamp, zooming around and causing trouble. But maybe it’s the mix of cartoon and live action, maybe it’s the new digitally animated Woody, but something seems ... different this time. More than different. Something seems disturbing. There’s a gleam in his eye that I never noticed before. And then suddenly he’s tasering people? Ripping off children’s clothing in broad daylight? Is this a comedy or a horror movie?

Well technically it’s a comedy, but a lot of moments in the trailer sure feel like a horror movie. Which got us wondering: What would Woody Woodpecker look like as a horror movie? We decided to find out, by adding some spooky music to the original trailer. The results are pretty darn disturbing if we do say so ourselves. Check it out:

Just remember: If you’re out in the woods and you ever hear that laugh echo in the distance run for you life. Woody Woodpecker will be available on Blu-ray and DVD on February 6.

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