In this dark twist on Carlo Collodi’s classic 1883 tale, woodcarver Geppetto crafts a puppet resembling his recently deceased son from a cursed block of wood found at a crime scene. This puppet, Pinocchio, becomes a vengeful 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁er. Meanwhile, a teenager named Charlie and his mother Nancy move to town seeking a fresh start, and Detective Georgina begins investigating Agatha, the priestess of a dark cult responsible for the curse. Their lives intertwine with tragic consequences.
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Pinocchio: Carved from Darkness brings a horror twist to the beloved tale of Pinocchio, launching at the Cannes Film Market this week. The character of Pinocchio, created by Italian author Carlo Collodi in 1881, became famous through Disney’s 1940 animated classic. This new film, directed by Joona Tena (Superfurball) and produced by Oceana Studios (known for Terrifier 2, Monstrous, and Lamborghini: The Man Behind the Legend), reimagines Pinocchio as a puppet carved from cursed wood who turns into a vengeful 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁er.
The film features notable actors, including Peter Stormare (Constantine, John Wick: Chapter 2) as Geppetto, Vicki Berlin (Triangle of Sadness) as Nancy, the semi-alcoholic mother of Charlie, and Daniel Nuta (Watcher) as Ronnie, a local gangster entangled with Charlie’s high school friends. Filming is set to begin in early 2025, with a planned summer release. Danny Sawaf, CEO of Oceana Studios, describes the film as “surreal,” combining live action and CGI to create a gripping experience that promises to captivate audiences. Whether Pinocchio: Carved from Darkness will succeed among the many horror adaptations of public domain characters remains to be seen, but Oceana’s track record suggests it has a strong chance of finding an audience.