Pinocchio gets gruesome makeover as beloved character stars in grisly new horror
Storybook legend Pinocchio is in the public domain, meaning anyone can use the character without licensing or payment, and one horror director has taken him down a very dark path
Beloved storybook character Pinocchio is getting a gruesome makeover.
Revealed by Bloody Disgusting, a poster for Pinocchio: Unstrung shows the wooden puppet walking off frame with a trail of destruction in his wake. A hand is covered with blood and stabbed with a knife while Pinocchio’s strings lay twisted and broken on the floor.
The tagline reads: “There’s nothing holding him back” and director Rhy Frake-Waterfield addressed the new film to Bloody Disgusting. He explained: “The film will embrace practical effects at every opportunity, ranging from the doll itself to the title card of the film.”
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“Having a budget significantly higher than my last film, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2, I’m aiming to make this the definitive Pinocchio horror film and my best movie to date.” According to reports, the freaky film is set to begin filming in October and release is scheduled for next year.
Rhys has promised that the cast will be revealed “shortly”. IGN reported: “With the reveal comes the announcement that Child’s Play and Underworld Awakening makeup effects veteran Todd Masters has joined the film to create its title doll.”
The Twisted Childhood Universe - or Poohniverse - was created by Jagged Edge Productions and ITN Studios. Along with Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, its sequel and Pinocchio: Unstrung, another beloved Disney character is also being rebooted for the horror franchise.
Bambi: The Reckoning reportedly follows Xana and her son who get involved with a car crash. The pair are hunted down by Bambi, who IGN calls a “vicious killing machine”. The upcoming British horror film is yet to be released.
Directed by Dan Allen, written by Rhy Warrington and produced by Rhys Frake-Waterfield and Scott Jeffrey, Bambi: The Reckoning is scheduled for release in 2025. According to online reports, a third Blood and Honey film is planned along with Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble.
Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare will also enter the TCU in 2024. Each of the TCU films is a creepy reimagining of various fairy tale characters who have recently entered the public domain.
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