Featuring a star-studded cast that presents Tom Hanks as Geppetto, Pinocchio is a live-action and CGI retelling of Walt Disney’s beloved tale.
Walt Disney’s interpretation of The Adventures of Pinocchio by Italian writer Carlo Collodi manifested in the bright and bubbly musical film of 1940. Pinocchio, as reimagined by the iconic film animator and producer, took on a life of its own – easily becoming one of Disney’s classic films.
The 2022 version of Pinocchio is set to become another cult favourite – especially for those of us who grew up addicted to Disney’s creations. Directed by Academy Award winner, Robert Zemeckis, Disney+’s Pinocchio revamps the classic tale of a wooden puppet who comes to life through a blend of live-action and CGI sequences.
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Starring Tom Hanks as Geppetto, the lonely woodcarver, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as the voice of Pinocchio, and Cynthia Erivo as the Blue Fairy, Pinocchio boasts a dazzling lineup of talents who came together to breathe life into the classic. Zemeckis’ directorial vision for this movie was one that was made for modern audiences. He explains, “Audiences are way more sophisticated, and they don’t want to be spoon-fed. They want to be able to think for themselves. We added some characters, but basically kept the spirit and the tone and the theme of the first [Pinocchio].”
The Pinocchio of 2022 doesn’t rework the framework of Disney’s production but rather adds a twist that makes use of 21st Century technologies to create a 3D Pinocchio, alongside the live actors in the film such as Tom Hanks. Zemeckis and Hanks, who previously worked on Forrest Gump (1994) and Cast Away (2000) together, share an inclination for challenging projects, such as the undertaking of Pinocchio’s live-action adaptation.
“[Zemeckis] always has to do something where he can monkey around with the creative process of doing it, and he’s never not challenged me with some sort of task that is brand new to the filmmaking process,” Hanks shares, on getting on board with the director for the film. The duo also worked closely on the real-life aspects of Geppetto that they wanted to present in this live-action adaptation, including details that would illustrate the loss that the woodcarver would have experienced in his life, leading up to the creation of Pinocchio.
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Hank reveals, “We talked about the idea that he’s been alone on his own, servicing other people and delighting other people with his handicrafts for, what, two and a half decades? That’s an awful long time to have no company for breakfast and dinner, except a cat and a goldfish.”
“The yearning of Geppetto, wanting to be a part of something bigger than himself, a part of a family, that was the whole bit. You can’t just make a real-life version of what the animated film was. It has to be deeper, and it has to have more baggage on it,” he continues. The addition of more real-life elements peppers the film with more depth that most of us can comprehend more clearly now. As much as watching Pinocchio (2022) can reinvigorate the child in each of us, the live-action version also promises us a dimension of maturity and realism that the animated original forsook for the sake of its young audience.
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This complexity presents itself again in the characterisation of Cynthia Erivo’s role – the Blue Fairy. The Harriet (2019) star discusses the multifaceted nature of the Blue Fairy, describing it as such: “[Zemeckis] wanted her to be both sweet and kind, but also pragmatic and practical. And there’s like an almost edge to her, but there is a warmth in her as well. He wanted this beautiful mix of a lot of qualities in this one character. I liked the challenge of being able to do that.”
Pinocchio’s songs didn’t take a backseat in this remake either, with Erivo lending her voice to some of the songs in the musical film. The actress shared how she sang the songs live on set, including the Pinocchio signature When You Wish Upon A Star.
Pinocchio (2022) takes a classic film and puts a modern spin on it. Presenting a story of truth and honesty, the film takes us on a journey that reveals to us how wishes can come true, just in ways that may be different from what we expect. The story of Pinocchio teaches us all to be true to ourselves, as Hanks puts it. The voyage that a little boy takes teaches him about himself, revealing what is truly important to him. He learns to connect with and find himself in his family through all the ups and downs of the stories. And embedded in those adventures is a lesson for even the most grown-up of audiences.
Pinocchio is now streaming exclusively on Disney+. Once you’re done with this story that first appeared on L’officiel Singapore, click here to catch up with our October 2022 issue!
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