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Tom Hanks Wishes Upon A Star In Live-Action ‘Pinocchio’ Remake Trailer

The story of a marionette earning the right to become a real boy is no longer just confined to the world of classic animation. Disney has debuted the teaser trailer for its upcoming live-action remake of Pinocchio, which is set to premiere on 8 September 2022 to coincide with this year’s Disney+ Day celebrations.

Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the movie stars Tom Hanks as Geppetto, the woodcarver who builds Pinocchio and treats Pinocchio (played by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) like his own son, and whom we caught sight of in the trailer. It also seems to tease the return of a classic Disney song, with the character reciting a prayer to bring the puppet to life. “Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight,” he says, before the Blue Fairy appears to grant his wish.

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Contrary to what the thumbnail image might suggest, the show’s main star doesn’t actually appear in the reel. Instead, Pinocchio is revealed as a silhouette in the official poster, which shows him wearing the same outfit as the original 1940 animated film, along with his signature yellow-and-blue cap.

Hanks and Ainsworth are joined by Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Jiminy Cricket, Cynthia Erivo as the Blue Fairy, Keegan-Michael Key as “Honest” John, Lorraine Bracco as Sofia the Seagull, and Luke Evans as The Coachman. Also in the cast are Kyanne Lamaya as Fabiana (and her marionette Sabina), Giuseppe Battiston as Señor Stromboli, and Lewin Lloyd as Lampwick.

The script, meanwhile, is penned by Zemeckis and Chris Weitz, both of whom are producing alongside Derek Hogue, Andrew Miano, Chris Weitz, and Paul Weitz. Jackie Levine, Jack Rapke, Alexandra Derbyshire, and Jeremy Johns will serve as executive producers of the live-action Pinocchio film.

This isn’t the only Pinocchio adaptation in the pipeline. Guillermo del Toro is dropping his stop-motion, musical retelling of the fairy tale in December 2022 as well, with Ewan McGregor, Tilda Swinton, Cate Blanchett, and more tapped to join the cast.