Everything To Know About The Pinocchio Live-Action Remake On Disney+

Whether you’re on Team Original or Team Remake when it comes to movies, Disney+ has been turning some of its most beloved animated titles into star-studded live-action movies — and there’s no signs of this approach slowing down. Disney fans already have Emma Watson’s Beauty and the Beast and Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent, and they’re waiting for The Little Mermaid starring Halle Bailey. Veering away from princesses and their witchy opponents, the next film for the streaming platform is Pinocchio and the puppet’s journey to becoming a real boy. Like many of the previously mentioned Disney remakes, this version of Pinocchio is live-action, but still employs CGI animation for Pinocchio and some other anthropomorphic characters.

With Pinocchio, as well as the upcoming Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs out in 2023, Disney is digging deeper into the company’s archives. The original animated Pinocchio was released in 1940 and was based on the 1883 Italian children’s novel by Carlo Collodi titled The Adventures of Pinocchio. The remake, out in fall 2022, will reunite actor Tom Hanks with director Robert Zemeckis, who both won Oscars for their 1994 film Forrest Gump.

Here’s everything to know about Pinocchio’s cast, soundtrack, and how to watch it.

Pinocchio Trailer

Disney+ released the first teaser trailer for Pinocchio just before June 2022, and it’s every bit as magical as one might expect. It begins with the toymaker Geppetto (Tom Hanks) tinkering with woodworks at home. The marionette Pinocchio is seen on the table. In his jammies, he makes a wish on a star before going to bed, reciting the poem, “Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight.” The Blue Fairy appears, singing, “When you wish upon a star.” The video then cuts to clips of Jiminy Cricket, The Coachman, kids in Pleasure Island, a female puppet, and Hanks on a boat. The trailer closes with the Blue Fairy tapping Pinocchio’s head with her magic wand.

The official trailer was later released on Aug. 24, giving a closer look at the rest of the Pinocchio characters — both our old favorites and new characters created for the film — including Jiminy Cricket, Sofia the Seagull, Honest John, The Coachman and Blue Fairy. The trailer begins with Pinocchio coming to life to the thrill of Geppetto, who promptly sets him out into the world, just like a real boy. While out and about with his newfound freedom, Pinocchio meets Honest John, a deceptive fox, and The Coachman, who want to put him on display and make money from Pinocchio’s existence. Meanwhile, Jiminy Cricket observes Pinocchio’s adventures and aims to shield him from the real world, and even helps him understand why his nose suddenly starts to grow when he tells a fib.

Pinocchio Release Date

Pinocchio is set to drop on Sept. 8 as part of Disney+ Day. It will be released exclusively on the streaming platform. If you’re still desperate for more Pinocchio, Guillermo del Toro is working on a darker remake utilizing stop-motion for Netflix.

Pinocchio Cast

Pinocchio is set to be star-studded. Aside from Hanks playing Pinocchio’s dad Geppetto, The Haunting of Bly Manor’s Benjamin Evan Ainsworth will be voicing the titular puppet. Broadway star and Tony Award-winner Cynthia Erivo is set to play (and sing as) the Blue Fairy. As in the animated film, Jiminy Cricket will be narrating Pinocchio’s story and the green insect will be voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. It’s the first time Gordon-Levitt will be reuniting with director Zemeckis after working together on the 2015 film The Walk. Meanwhile, the comedian Keegan-Michael Key plays Honest John, the not-so-honest conman.

Luke Evans, who played Gaston in Disney’s remake of Beauty and the Beast, stars as The Coachman, a new character created for the remake who, based on the trailer, looks like a bad guy. Another new character is Sofia the Seagull, voiced by The Sopranos’ Lorraine Bracco. Angus Wright will play Signore Rizzi and Giuseppe Battiston will reprise the role of Stromboli, whom he played in the Italian-language dubbing of the previous movie. Rounding out the cast are Olivier Award-winner Sheila Atim (Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness), Lewin Lloyd (The Aeronauts) as Lampwick, and business reporter-turned-actor LaToya Harding.

In a short featurette released on the Disney+ Instagram on Aug. 29, Hanks said reinventing Pinnochio for modern audiences is “an incredibly rich opportunity.” Erivo added, “It’s a really special story that encourages people to wish and to dream.”

Pinocchio Plot

In the original Disney movie, Geppetto desperately wants children of his own so when he carves a marionette that he names Pinocchio, he makes a wish that Pinocchio turns into a real boy. Hearing his wish, the magical Blue Fairy brings Pinocchio to life and strikes a deal with him. If Pinocchio shows courage and honesty, the Blue Fairy promises to turn him into a real boy. She also assigns Jiminy Cricket to be Pinocchio’s guardian and conscience.

Unfortunately, Pinocchio gets into trouble when he’s conned by Honest John and Gideon the Cat. He ends up in a puppet show and shipped off to Pleasure Island where he almost gets turned into a donkey. Pinocchio fans also know the creepy business about the whale swallowing Geppetto whole. Oh, and of course, Pinocchio’s nose grows a few inches whenever he tells a lie.

It’s unclear how much the remake will keep to the original plot. Historically, Disney’s live-action remakes have been known to tweak a few plot points as well as introduce new songs and characters. We already know there are at least two new characters in the 2022 lineup so expect at least a few discrepancies.

Pinocchio Soundtrack

As to the soundtrack, there’s no news yet as to which songs will be included from the original and who will be singing them. The animated soundtrack consists of 25 songs, including the most popular song from the film, “When You Wish Upon A Star,” originally sung by Jiminy Cricket. The song eventually became a musical hallmark of Disney, and is now included at the beginning of many Disney films. There will be a bit of a song shakeup in the remake and, this time, it’s Erivo’s Blue Fairy singing “When You Wish Upon A Star.”

In the 1940 original, the Blue Fairy was supposed to sing “Straight Ahead,” but the track was eventually cut. Perhaps the 2022 version could include the song to give Erivo’s singing more airtime. Other stars are also expected to sing, including Gordon-Levitt, per Variety. Meanwhile, Evans already showed off his singing chops as Gaston in 2017’s Beauty and the Beast and fans would expect him to sing again in Pinocchio.

This post will be updated with the trailer and additional details as more information on Pinocchio becomes available.