Pinocchio Goes Rogue as Twisted Horror Take From the ‘Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey’ Team Unveils First Trailer For ‘Pinocchio Unstrung’

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A new horror movie is reimagining the classic tale of Pinocchio with a much darker and more violent twist. “Pinocchio Unstrung” tells the story of the wooden puppet’s desperate and ruthless quest to become a real boy.

This version of Pinocchio isn’t about a sweet puppet who wants to become a real boy. It’s a darker story where Pinocchio becomes fixated on becoming real, and after discovering what humans are made of, he goes to extreme and violent lengths to achieve his goal.

This new movie is made by the same people who brought you Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey. Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield and producer Scott Jeffrey have teamed up again through their production company, Jagged Edge Productions, to reimagine another beloved children’s story as a horror film.

First trailer for the ‘PINOCCHIO’ horror movie set in the Poohniverse.

In theaters later this year.

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) March 2, 2026

This installment centers on Geppetto and Pinocchio, with Richard Brake portraying Geppetto. A dark take on Jiminy Cricket, voiced by horror icon Robert Englund (famous for his role as Freddy Krueger), guides Pinocchio’s troubling and increasingly violent changes. The trailer shows this corrupted cricket actually encouraging Pinocchio’s transformation.

I recently spoke with director Jake Frake-Waterfield about his new take on Pinocchio, and what struck me most was his commitment to practical effects. He really wanted Pinocchio to feel real, so they built him as a fully animatronic puppet. But it’s not just a visual choice; the story itself is fascinating. Frake-Waterfield described it as a dark, twisted coming-of-age tale, told entirely from Pinocchio’s point of view. It’s about a creation fighting for independence while being pulled around by some truly unsettling characters – including a wonderfully sinister Jiminy Cricket played by Robert Englund, and a disturbingly obsessive Geppetto brought to life by Richard Brake.

Cameron Bell, Jessica Balmer, Jack Art Gray, and Peter De Souza-Feighoney also star in the film. To create the character, Emmy-winning effects artist Todd Masters used practical animatronics – physical effects – instead of relying solely on computer-generated imagery.

This movie is one of several horror films connected in a series called the Twisted Childhood Universe. This universe includes the original ‘Blood and Honey’ and its follow-up, as well as films like ‘Bambi: The Reckoning’ and ‘Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare.’ Even more movies are planned, including one that will bring characters from all these films together.

As a huge fan of this cinematic universe, I was thrilled to hear from Frake-Waterfield that things are only getting bigger and bolder! They confirmed that the universe is expanding, and honestly, the hint that ‘Poohniverse Monsters Assemble!’ is on the horizon has me completely hyped. It sounds like we’re in for some really dark and ambitious storytelling, and I can’t wait to see where they take things next!

ITN Distribution will be releasing the film, but a date for its theatrical release hasn’t been set yet.

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2026-03-02 19:14