Pinocchio Unstrung opens in North American theaters on Friday, July 24, 2026, through Viva Pictures. Rhys Frake-Waterfield's 2026 slasher turns Carlo Collodi's wooden boy into the latest killer in the Twisted Childhood Universe, with Robert Englund voicing Cricket and Richard Brake playing Geppetto. Here is the current release plan, cast, story, runtime situation, and home-viewing status.
THE JULY 24 RELEASE PLAN
Viva Pictures acquired Pinocchio Unstrung for a North American theatrical release on July 24. Current listings from The Numbers, Fandango, and Rotten Tomatoes all carry that date. An earlier ScreamDesk report repeated a May 7 date before the North American distribution plan was announced; that date is no longer current. Theater participation can vary by market, so check local listings as July 24 approaches.
THE STORY: A PUPPET WITH A BLOODY MISSION
The film moves the familiar fable into an elite London prep school. Geppetto creates Pinocchio, while a sinister Cricket pushes the puppet toward a violent idea of becoming real. Pinocchio wants to build himself into a boy like his brother James, and other people become the raw material. The setup keeps the wish-to-be-human core of Collodi's story but redirects it through slasher and killer-doll horror.
ROBERT ENGLUND AND RICHARD BRAKE LEAD THE CAST
Robert Englund voices Cricket, the figure influencing Pinocchio's choices. Richard Brake plays Geppetto, and Cameron Bell plays James. Jessica Balmer appears as Mia, while Jude Evan Lloyd performs the title role. The combination puts two established horror performers around a younger cast without pretending the film has already proven how those parts work together on screen.
WHO MADE PINOCCHIO UNSTRUNG?
Rhys Frake-Waterfield wrote and directed the film after directing the first two Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey entries. Scott Chambers produced through Jagged Edge Productions, the company behind the connected Twisted Childhood films. Viva Pictures is handling the July 24 North American theatrical release. That team places the movie inside an existing low-budget horror series rather than presenting it as a stand-alone Pinocchio adaptation.
TICKETS, RUNTIME AND STREAMING
Fandango currently lists a runtime of 83 minutes, while Rotten Tomatoes lists 80 minutes. That three-minute difference may reflect credits or listing updates, so ScreamDesk is treating the runtime as approximately 80 to 83 minutes until the distributor supplies one consistent figure. No North American digital or streaming date has been announced as of July 13, 2026. For now, the confirmed release is theatrical on July 24.