Trailer for Pinocchio horror film drops; features 'Nightmare on Elm Street' alum

UNITED STATES, March 5 — The same creator of "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey" has created yet another horror film that reimagines a childhood classic. "Pinocchio: Unstrung" gives a gory twist to the beloved fairy-tale as Cricket (voiced by Robert Englund) helps the puppet steal body parts in order to become a real boy. The film has yet to set a release date.

The trailer for a horror version of Pinocchio just dropped and it’s just as terrifying and gory as you’d expect. From the same creator who brought you "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey," comes another nightmareish twist to a childhood classic.

Dig deeper: The trailer shows a peek into the familiar storyline of Pinocchio’s dream of wanting to become a real boy, but with a gory twist. Instead of wishing upon a star, Pinocchio and his evil companion, Cricket (voiced by Robert Englund , who is known for playing Fred Krueger in the ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ franchise), will steal the body parts he needs to make his dream a reality. Also featured in the film is Richard Brake ('Kingsman: The Secret Service') and Cameron Bell as James.

What they're saying: "I’m a huge fan of the horror genre so I made the film I would want to see. ‘Pinocchio: Unstrung’ is about taking something nostalgic that people think they know and turning it into something chaotic, creepy, and entertaining," Rhys Frake-Waterfield told FOX.

Frake-Waterfield is a lover of practical effects and, though it was "incredibly ambitious," they used real puppets in this latest horror film. "Pinocchio is on screen for around 80% of the film. I realized very quickly we were in trouble when it took an entire team of people just to make him take a few steps," he said.

But the unnerving movements are what gave Pinocchio his creepy vibes in the film, Frake-Waterfield said. "In a filmmaking landscape that’s increasingly dominated by AI and Visual Effects, going back to practical techniques gave the film and Pinocchio himself a real human feel," he added.

The film has plans to be shown at film festivals later this year but does not have an official debut date as of this report.

In the meantime, get a sneak peek at the trailer by clicking here.

Frake-Waterfield shared he was also shooting a Winnie-the-Pooh sequel to the "Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey" film, as well as a "Poohniverse: Monster Assemble."

"This will be our version of an ‘Avengers-style’ crossover where all of our horror villains come together - something we haven't really seen or done bfore in the horro genre," he said.

The Source: Information for this article was taken from an email correspondence with the "Pinocchio: Unstrung" creator, Rhys Frake-Waterfield. This story was reported from San Jose.