The Poohniverse—also known as the Twisted Childhood Universe—keeps growing, with Pinocchio: Unstrung bringing a fresh horror twist to the classic fairytale puppet. Jagged Edge Productions recently released the first official trailer for this slasher film, which is slated for theatrical release later in 2026 (with some international dates starting as early as May).
The trailer presents a dark, coming-of-age reimagining: Pinocchio, reimagined as a killer wooden doll (built with practical animatronics for a more tangible feel), develops a bond with a young boy named James. Influenced by a sinister, evil version of the cricket (voiced by horror legend Robert Englund), Pinocchio embarks on a gruesome killing spree. His twisted goal? To harvest human organs, skin, and body parts to literally build himself into a “real boy.” The footage teases several brutal sequences, including one where Pinocchio forcibly peels the skin from a victim.
Rhys Frake-Waterfield writes and directs the film, continuing his streak in the franchise. The cast features Evan Lloyd, Richard Brake, Adrian Burton, Peter DeSouza-Feighoney, Charlotte Jackson Coleman, Kelly Rian Sanson, Karolina Knight, Alexander Butler, Cameron Bell, Jessica Balmer, and others.
Executive producers are Stuart Alson and Nicole Holland, with Frake-Waterfield and Scott Jeffrey producing. The creative team includes cinematographer Vince Knight and composer Andrew Scott Bell.
This release adds to Jagged Edge Productions’ expanding lineup of public-domain horror reimaginings. The franchise launched with Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey in 2023, followed by Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 in 2024, Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare in 2025, and Bambi: The Reckoning in 2025. Pinocchio: Unstrung marks the latest standalone entry, with a larger crossover film, Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble, currently in pre-production for a potential 2026 or later release.
