Disney confirms live-action Pinocchio release date

Photo credit: Disney
Photo credit: Disney

Disney's live-action Pinocchio movie has unveiled its first look at Tom Hanks as master of marionettes Geppetto.

Set to stream on Disney+ this September, director Robert Zemeckis' retelling of the classic tale also features Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as the voice of Pinocchio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Jiminy Cricket, Cynthia Erivo as the Blue Fairy, Keegan-Michael Key as Honest John the fox, Luke Evans as The Coachman and Lorraine Braco as Sofia the Seagull.

There's so much Oscar royalty here – the only way to go bigger would be to sign Daniel Day-Lewis for Monstro the whale with motion-capture.

Photo credit: Courtesy of Disney Enterprises
Photo credit: Courtesy of Disney Enterprises

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In case you needed a reminder, Pinocchio is one of Disney's darkest stories, centring on a wooden toy magically brought to life.

Setting out to become a 'real boy', he encounters con-artists, slavery and a gigantic whale that gobbles him up.

With the likes of The Polar Express, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and Beowulf under his belt, Zemeckis is one of the visual pioneers of his time; we can't wait to see what he's done with this one.

Photo credit: Netflix
Photo credit: Netflix


Related: Disney's Pinocchio live-action remake adds Chaos Walking star as Blue Fairy

Meanwhile, Disney's live-action version isn't the only Pinocchio on the 2022 cinematic calendar.

From Nightmare Alley's Guillermo del Toro, Netflix is releasing a stop-motion adaptation in December, starring Obi-Wan Kenobi's Ewan McGregor, Watchmen's Tim Blake Nelson, Hellboy's Ron Perlman, Django Unchained's Christoph Waltz, The French Dispatch's Tilda Swinton, The Batman's John Turturro, Harry Potter's David Bradley and Stranger Things breakout star Finn Wolfhard.

When you wish upon a star, you get two Pinocchios in the space of four months!

Pinocchio premieres exclusively on Disney+ this September.

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