New images have revealed a major character from the horror movie Pinocchio: Unstrung. The project will be the fifth installment in the Twisted Childhood Universe, a franchise that kicked off with 2023’s Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey and infamously reimagines classic children’s characters (including Pooh, Tigger, Peter Pan, and Bambi) as bloodthirsty slasher killers.
The upcoming Pinocchio: Unstrung will follow a young man (Cameron Bell) learning the story the тιтular killer doll from his grandfather, Geppetto (Richard Brake). The movie was directed by Rhys Frake-Waterfield, who previously helmed Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey and its 2024 sequel, in addition to being attached to the upcoming TCU crossover Poohniverse: Monsters ᴀssemble.
On his official Instagram account, Rhys Frake-Waterfield has shared two first-look images from Pinocchio: Unstrung that reveal the horror movie’s version of Jiminy Cricket, who is just named “Cricket.” One is a full-body sH๏τ of the character, while the other offers a closer look at the cricket raising a gnarled hand.
Jiminy Cricket will be voiced by horror icon Robert Englund, who is best known for his role as Freddy Krueger in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. See the full-size images below:
What This Means For Pinocchio: Unstrung
Given the fact that these images feature Jiminy Cricket with a black void behind him, it seems likely that these are not actual still frames from the upcoming Twisted Childhood Universe movie and are instead meant to be separate images showcasing the character’s design.
While these images therefore do not hint at his exact function in the story, the fact that he has also been given an evil horror movie design indicates that he will also be a villain in the movie. This was not a guarantee, because some TCU movies have non-villainous versions of characters from the original stories (including Christopher Robin).
Because the character acts as Pinocchio’s conscience both in the original Carlo Collodi book and Disney’s 1940 animated adaptation, it seems possible that Unstrung features Jiminy occupying a similar position, pushing Pinocchio to commit darker and darker deeds.
Our Take On The New Pinocchio: Unstrung Images
Another striking element of these images is the fact that Jiminy Cricket bears a distinct resemblance to Freddy Krueger from the Nightmare on Elm Street movies. In addition to his shriveled face looking somewhat similar to Freddy, who bears distinctive burn scars, the sH๏τ of him holding up his hand is reminiscent of how Freddy wields his razor-tipped glove.
Robert Englund portrayed Freddy Krueger in every Nightmare on Elm Street movie except the 2010 remake, in which the character was played by Jackie Earle Haley.
Given this homage to Robert Englund’s legendary status in the horror genre, it seems possible that Pinocchio: Unstrung may contain other Easter eggs that reference the actor’s previous role as an iconic slasher killer.
