Photo Credit: Jagged Edge Productions
The next film in the Twisted Child Universe, Pinocchio Unstrung, has secured a Summer 2026 release. Much like Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, Pinocchio Unstrung is a new take on Carlo Collodi’s classic novel The Adventures of Pinocchio, turning it into a horror story.

The upcoming film stars Richard Brake as Geppetto and Robert Englund as the talking cricket, while Cameron Bell plays James, Geppetto’s son. It will be the fifth film in the Twisted Child Universe.

“Influenced by a sinister Cricket (Robert Englund) and created by Geppetto (Richard Brake), Pinocchio launches a violent crusade to carve himself into a real boy like his brother James, one piece at a time.”

When is the release date for Pinocchio Unstrung?

Pinocchio Unstrung will hit North American theaters on July 24, 2026. The announcement was paired with a new teaser poster, arriving more than a year after the first look at the film was revealed. It also confirms that the film will be 88 minutes long and is expected to be rated R for its theatrical release.

“A chilling reimagining of the familiar fable, Pinocchio Unstrung unfolds inside an elite London prep school,” reads the movie’s synopsis.

“He has no strings to hold him back now,” reads the film’s tagline, a play on the “I’ve got no strings” song from the animated 1940 film. Viva Pictures will be distributing the film in North America.

“It’s a bold take on a familiar property, reimagining Pinocchio through a darker, more visceral lens,” said Victor Elizalde, President of Viva Pictures. “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.”

Written and directed by Rhys Frake-Waterfield and produced by Scott Chambers, Pinocchio Unstrung had its premiere at the 44th Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFFF) earlier this year in April.

Originally reported by Rahul Majumdar on ComingSoon.net.