Welcome to 2024, where no beloved childhood character is safe. In the ever-expanding world of horror, I present Pinocchio: Unstrung. Following the bizarre success of Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, director Rhys Frake-Waterfield is back, this time turning the tale of the little wooden boy who wanted to be real into something straight out of your nightmares.
With this new entry, it’s clear we’ve entered a twisted playground where public domain icons are being reimagined in ways that would likely make their creators roll in their graves. Although it’s worth noting that Pinocchio’s original creator, Italian author, humorist, and political satirist Carlo Collodi, was said to have turned to children’s literature after becoming disenchanted with Italian politics in the late 1800s.
Like many fairy tales with dark origins, Pinocchio was rebranded into a PG story by Disney in 1940. As such it’s almost fitting that this upcoming film, set to begin filming in October, returns the tale to its darker roots.
If the teaser images are anything to go by, this isn’t your average bedtime story. Picture a love child between Chucky and Cocaine Bear, with a Brothers Grimm-esque energy. This version of Pinocchio is unstrung and unhinged, brought to life with the help of animatronics and puppetry from Todd Masters, the genius behind Child’s Play (2019).
With a bigger budget than Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, Frake-Waterfield has boldly claimed that this will be his “best film yet”—a statement that might have even Jiminy Cricket sweating.
The Allure of Twisted Nostalgia
What is it about these twisted takes on childhood classics that captivates audiences? As a kid, I could barely sit through horror films without peeking out from between my fingers. And don’t even get me started on my dad’s influence! Never trust a boomer dad when he says, “It’s safe to look now.”
However, as an adult I’ve developed a bit of a taste for absurd horror—and I’m not alone.
Scott A. Boom, PhD, explains:
“What can explain the appeal of ruthless criminals like Jeffrey Dahmer… or Ted Bundy? While their appeal is multifaceted, I believe a good part of the fascination can be explained by our empathy. We are driven by an innate tendency to empathize with everything around us, even dangerous things.”
The Public Domain: A Wild West for Storytellers
Perhaps it’s the thrill of seeing something innocent transformed into something terrifying. Or maybe it’s the ultimate act of creative freedom—a middle finger to the constraints that copyright laws once imposed. Love it or hate it, the public domain is a veritable Wild West for storytellers—a place where anything goes, and where Pooh, Peter Pan, and now Pinocchio, can roam free.
In Pinocchio: Unstrung, we’re promised a spectacle of practical effects, with Frake-Waterfield aiming to make this the definitive Pinocchio horror film. But beyond the gore and scares, there’s a fascinating commentary on the nature of these adaptations. Are we, as a culture, so jaded that the only way to revisit these tales is through the lens of horror? Or is this simply the next evolution of storytelling in a world where everything old is eventually new—and terrifying—again?
As we brace ourselves for the twisted tale of the wooden boy gone bad, it’s worth considering what these films say about our collective psyche. Whether you’re a fan of this new genre or a purist who’d rather keep the strings attached, one thing is clear: the public domain is a playground, and in the hands of filmmakers like Frake-Waterfield, it’s a playground with no rules and no mercy.
P.S. Not to point fingers or anything, but maybe Geppetto, puppet maker/life-bringer, should have taken some parenting classes after deciding to give his little puppet life all willy nilly. As Dr. Louise Hart wisely puts it, “If we don’t shape our kids, they will be shaped by outside forces that don’t care what shape our kids are in.”
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