Pinocchio Unstrung: the wooden puppet turns R and bloody

The new horror film Pinocchio Unstrung has been rated R for its graphic violence and nudity. The movie, set to premiere on July 24, 2026, transforms the classic Disney puppet into a killing machine. The story follows a wooden Pinocchio who goes on a massacre, completely departing from the original childlike tone to deliver a brutal and straightforward experience.

Photorealistic cinematic scene of a wooden Pinocchio puppet covered in blood, holding a jagged metal saw in one hand while standing over a shattered mechanical workshop table, splintered wood and broken gears scattered around, dark crimson splatter on his face and hands, his hinged jaw slightly open in a menacing expression, harsh overhead industrial lighting casting deep shadows, metallic tools and rusted machinery in the background, hyper-detailed wood grain texture, blood dripping mid-action, gritty horror aesthetic, ultra-realistic technical illustration style

Behind the massacre: the CGI and animatronics of the killer puppet 🪚

The visual effects team combined practical animatronics with CGI to bring this Pinocchio to life. The puppet's movements were captured with tracking sensors on a real actor, then processed in wood simulation software. The violence was achieved with silicone prosthetics and glycerin-based fake blood. According to the director, 70% of the effects are practical to avoid digital saturation. The sound of wood breaking was recorded with contact microphones on pine planks.

Conscience is no longer Cricket, now it's a chainsaw ⛓️

Goodbye to Jiminy Cricket and his moral advice. In this version, the puppet receives orders from a distorted voice whispering from a rusty music box. Critics are already joking that Geppetto should have used stronger glue. And if the original wanted to be a real boy, here all it asks is that you run faster. The moral is clear: don't lie to a puppet with an axe.