Pinocchio Remake Gets Poster, Trailer
Disney’s Pinocchio live-action remake finally has a poster, trailer, and official release date. This retelling of the 1940 classic animated film based on Carlo Collodi’s beloved novel stars Tom Hanks as Gepetto, Cynthia Erivo as the Blue Fairy, and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Pinocchio. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Keegan-Michael Key, and Luke Evans will also be appearing. Interestingly, these actors have all appeared in Disney projects before, save Erivo and Ainsworth. The trailer features a modern rendition of “When You Wish Upon a Star,” a song now synonymous not only with Pinocchio but the Walt Disney Company as a brand. We get a decent look at Jiminy Cricket and a brief glimpse at this film’s versions of villains Stromboli and Honest John. Pinocchio streams on Disney+ at no extra cost on September 8th. Check out the new poster and trailer here:
Put simply, I’ve been dreading this movie since it was first announced. Tom Hanks and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are among my favorite actors, but Pinocchio is the rare perfect film among the Disney canon. There’s nothing I would change about it, and as such, I see nothing good to be gained from a modern rehash. Other filmmakers have released various Pinocchio films over the years, and that’s fine because they were new interpretations of the original story; that’s usually not what Disney does. The best Disney remakes have been new takes on the story rather than politically correct do-overs of the animated movies. This Pinocchio looks exactly like the animated character, and the trailer does little to convince the viewer it offers anything new.
In some ways, the original animated Pinocchio is underrated, buried under newer, flashier films. Like all early Disney films, it is technically ambitious, well-intentioned, and beautifully animated. It’s the first of Disney’s full-length movies where the lead experienced character development, learning a meaningful lesson. I find myself more frustrated by this trailer than anything because it looks good. These are excellent performers, the costumes look great, and the effects are passable. I’m torn between “Why are they making this?” and “Why isn’t this showing in cinemas?” Overall, though, I doubt this will be good or at all distinct from the original, aside from aesthetic choices like the Blue Fairy’s redesign. Talented actors and pretty costumes can’t make a great film alone.
What do you think of the new Pinocchio trailer? Is this the film you wished for upon a star? Let us know in the comments!
Comments (4)
At first I thought Hanks was putting on an accent, but now I think he just sounded weird in the beginning of the trailer. If they wanted to do the Blue Fairy differently from the animated one, they could have given her blue hair like in the book.
Pinocchio is my favorite Disney movie and possibly my favorite animated movie. Honestly, nobody asked for this movie or any Disney live-action remakes. Most Disney live-action remakes lack the magic of the original animated movie. And I hate the redesign of the blue fairy.
I agree about the remakes, and the ones that have been good were distinct versions of the stories. This doesn’t look like it will be.
First off, why didn’t they cast all Italians? Pinocchio is an Italian folktale, after all, political correctness and cultural appropriation by their own rules would dictate that. At the very least Tom Hanks could fake an accent…
Second… I don’t recall the Blue Fairy being bald or black… in fact, she is distinctly depicted as a blonde.