By MICHAEL GINGOLD
If you’ve been wishing upon a star for the latest in the Twisted Childhood Universe, consider it granted.
Viva Pictures has announced that it has picked up PINOCCHIO UNSTRUNG, and will release it to theaters nationwide July 24. The film, which had its world premiere at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, was written and directed by Rhys Frake-Waterfield and stars genre regular Richard Brake, Cameron Bell, fright legend Robert Englund and Jessica Balmer, with creature effects by Todd Masters. The synopsis: “A chilling reimagining of the familiar fable, PINOCCHIO UNSTRUNG unfolds inside an elite London prep school. Influenced by a sinister Cricket [Englund] and created by Geppetto [Brake], Pinocchio launches a violent crusade to carve himself into a real boy like his brother James [Bell], one piece at a time.”
“It’s a bold take on a familiar property, reimagining Pinocchio through a darker, more visceral lens,” says Viva president Victor Elizalde. “The horror audience has proven to be one of the most discerning and engaged in theatrical, and we’re proud to bring exhibitors a distinctive title that can cut through and drive attendance.”
