Everything You Need To Know About Disney’s Pinocchio Remake

Disney fans were introduced to Geppetto, Pinocchio, and Jiminy Cricket all the way back in 1940, so it was only a matter of time before the classic film got a live-action update. Indeed, Disney is remaking Pinocchio with an all-star cast including the one and only Tom Hanks.

The story of Pinocchio follows a wooden marionette puppet named Pinocchio, who is crafted by a woodworker named Geppetto. One night, when Geppetto sees a falling star, he wishes that Pinocchio could become a real boy. After the Blue Fairy grants Geppetto’s wish, she assigns Jiminy Cricket to be Pinocchio’s conscience so he can remain “brave, truthful, and unselfish.” But when Pinocchio encounters a series of unsavory characters, he finds that this task is harder than it seems.

Here are some magical details surrounding the remake of the 80-year-old movie that you can get excited about.

The trailer is live!

The rebooted cinematic version of the classic 1883 children’s book by Carlo Collodio looks like a feast for the eyes. Disney recently dropped the visually stunning trailer on Twitter and it doesn’t disappoint: “The beloved classic comes to life. Stream #Pinocchio, a #DisneyPlusDay premiere, September 8 on @DisneyPlus!”

Pinocchio will premiere on Disney+.

You won’t have to go to the theaters to see the Pinocchio remake. During Disney Investors Day in December 2020, Disney announced Pinocchio will head straight to Disney+ on Sept. 8.

The movie has an all-star cast.

Not only will the film be directed by Back to the Future and Forrest Gump’s director Robert Zemeckis, but it also has an incredible cast. According to The Hollywood Reporter, here’s who you can expect to see in Pinocchio:

• Tom Hanks as Geppetto, the old wood carver who creates Pinocchio and wishes for him to come to life. You’ve seen Hanks in Forrest Gump, Big, and in his unofficial role as America’s Sweetheart.
• Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Pinocchio, the titular puppet who dreams of becoming a real boy. Ainsworth recently starred in another Disney+ film, Flora & Ulysses.
• Cynthia Erivo as Blue Fairy, the magical being who grants Geppetto’s wish and turns Pinocchio into a real boy. Ervio is a Tony Award winner, best known for her role in Broadway’s The Color Purple.
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Jiminy Cricket, the wisecracking, dapper cricket who guides Pinocchio on his journey to becoming a real boy. Gordon-Levitt is known for his roles in 500 Days of Summer and Inception.
• Keegan-Michael Key as Honest John, a swindling villain Pinocchio encounters. You’ve heard Key lend his voice to the hyenas in the live-action remake of The Lion King and to Ducky in Toy Story 4.
• Luke Evans as The Coachman, a sinister figure who causes Pinocchio trouble. Evans is used to this live-action remake thing, since he starred as Gaston in Disney’s live-action remake in Beauty and the Beast.
• Lorraine Bracco as Sofia the Seagull, a new character, special to this remake. Bracco is best known for her roles in The Sopranos and Goodfellas.

All the Pinocchio movies, please.

While you wait for this new film to make its way to Disney’s streaming service this fall, you can stream the original Pinocchio on Disney+ and get to know the original source material from 1940. Pinocchio fanatics can also look forward to two more adaptations of the beloved puppet. Pinocchio: A True Story was released by Lionsgate on demand and on DVD on March 22, 2022. And the highly-anticipated animated stop-motion version, directed by Oscar-winner Guillermo del Toro is headed to theaters in November and to Netflix this December. If you’re intrigued by a shift of the time period to the 1930s and a tale of imperfect fathers and sons, this one's for you: