Pinocchio (2020 film)

Pinocchio is a 2020 American musical fantasy film directed by Kenny Ortega from a screenplay by Linda Woolverton. Co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Mandeville Films, the film is a live-action adaptation of Disney's 1940 animated film of the same name, itself an adaptation of the 1883 Italian book The Adventures of Pinocchio, by Carlo Collodi. The film stars Bill Murray, Chloe Grace Mortez, Jon Favreau, Jaeden Martell, and Luke Evans with Joel Dawson, Tom Holland, and Benedict Cumberbatch in voice roles.

A live-action Pinocchio remake was first announced in March 2016, with Ortega hired to direct it; Murray, Dawson, Evans, and the rest of the cast signed on between June and August 2017. Filming took place in England and Italy from April to July 2019. With an estimated budget of around $260 million, it is one of the most expensive films ever made.

Pinocchio premiered at Spencer House in London on January 10, 2020 and was theatrically released in the United States in standard, Disney Digital 3-D, RealD 3D, IMAX, and IMAX 3D formats, along with Dolby Cinema on Februay 21, 2020. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with many praising its faithfulness to the original animated film, as well as elements from the Broadway musical, performances of the cast (particularly Murray and Gordon-Levitt), visual style, musical score, songs, costume design, and production values,  It grossed $966 million worldwide, making it the third-highest-grossing film of 2020. The film won accolades for achievements in visual effects at the 93rd Academy Awards, 26th Critics' Choice Awards, and 74th British Academy Film Awards. The Rotten Tomatoes critical consensus describes it "as lovely to behold as it is engrossing to watch". A Spinoff series titled: “The Jiminy Cricket Show” is in development and is said to be released on Disney+ September 8, 2022.

Cast
Bill Murray as Geppetto

Chloe Grace Mortez as The Blue Fairy

Jon Favreau as Stromboli

Jaeden Martell as Lampwick

Luke Evans as The Coachman

Voice Cast
Joel Dawson as Pinocchio

Tom Holland as Jiminy Cricket

Benedict Cumberbatch as Honest John

Development
On March 15, 2016, it was announced that Walt Disney Pictures is developing a live-action adaptation of the 1940 animated film Pinocchio. Peter Hedges was reported to be writing the film's script. On April 2, 2016, it was announced that Linda Woolverton will replace Hedges as a screenwriter, as well as serve as a producer, while Stephen Herek was in talks to direct the project. On December 11, 2016, Mendes stepped down as the director.

On May 26, 2017, it was announced that Ron Howard was set to direct the film, while Andrew Milano was announced to be co-producing the film alongside Woolverton, and production was expected to begin in late 2018. Though Jack Thorne was announced to be re-writing Weitz's script, Weitz revealed on August 21, 2018, that the script was still being developed, as well as that production was set to take place in England and Italy in early 2019. In November 2018, Simon Farnaby was reported to have worked on a new draft for the film. However, on January 13, 2018, it was reported that Howard left the film due to "family reasons", while Disney was announced to be searching for a new director for the project.

On October 18, 2018, it was reported that Kenny Ortega was in talks to direct the film, while the film's latest version of the screenplay was reported to have been written by Woolverton, Howard, and Farnaby, with Woolverton and Milano still being attached to the project as producers. On January 24, 2019, it was confirmed that Ortega will direct the film and write a new script with Woolverton. It was also reported that Jack Rapke and Jackie Levine will serve as executive producers.

Casting
On November 29, 2017, it was reported that Bill Murray was in early talks to play Geppetto in the film, but passed on the project after Howard's departing. In August 2017, Murray rejoined the project. In January 2018, Luke Evans joined the cast as the Coachman and Danny McBride was originally cast as Stromboli but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts with The Angry Birds Movie 2 and was replaced with Favreau, Joel Dawson was cast in the titular role, with Chloe Grace Mortez, Jaeden Martell, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Benedict Cumberbatch also added. Mortez portrays The Blue Fairy, Martell portrays Lampwick, while Holland and Cumberbatch voiced Jiminy Cricket and Honest John.

Plot
The film opens with Jiminy Cricket singing When You Wish Upon A Star as he sits on a bookshelf, on which various literary classics, such as Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, The Jungle Book, Snow White, Cinderella, and Pinocchio can be found, and given a place of prominence. After the song ends, Jiminy Cricket greets the audience and acknowledges that many may not believe that a wish, as the song states, may come true, and, as proof of the message, decides to tell the story of Pinocchio. He slides down the shelf to the book and opens it, beginning his story in a peaceful village at night, which Jiminy states he was passing through. At this point, the viewer enters the story Jiminy is telling through an illustration in the book.

The only building from which light seems to emanate is Geppetto's Workshop. Jiminy hops over to the open window and peers in to see a warm fire in a room filled with beautifully carved toys, clocks, music boxes and puppets. He enters the room and warms himself by the fire. He then notices a lifeless marionette puppet, sitting on a shelf. As he is admiring the puppet, he hears someone coming. Crawling up the marionette's strings to hide on a high shelf, he sees Geppetto coming down the stairs with Figaro to finish painting the puppet. Geppetto greets Cleo, whose bowl sits nearby, and carefully paints a smile on the puppet's face. Having completed the marionette he gives it the name "Pinocchio" (which literally means "Little Wooden Head") and tests it out by walking it around the workshop, to the tune of Little Wooden Head which is played by one of the music boxes. The bells of the clocks that cover the walls of the workshop indicate that it is now nine o'clock, and Gepetto announces that it is time for bed. After he, Figaro and Cleo have bidden each other goodnight, the woodcutter gets into bed, to notice a Wishing Star through the window. He wishes that Pinocchio would become a real boy, before falling asleep.

The wishing star glows brighter, and gets closer to the window; eventually, reaching the workshop, it transforms into the Blue Fairy, who is about to make a fateful spell out of Gepetto's wish. She approaches Pinocchio and brings the puppet to life with a tap of her wand, and his strings vanish without a trace. Pinocchio is delighted and surprised at his ability to move and talk. The Fairy informs him, however, that he is not a real boy yet, and must prove himself brave, truthful, and unselfish in order to become one and learn the difference between right and wrong. After Jiminy hops in to explain to Pinocchio, the Blue Fairy decides to dub the cricket Pinocchio's conscience and leaves, telling Pinocchio to always let his conscience be his guide.

Jiminy tries to explain the concept of right and wrong, and, though he is largely unsuccessful, Pinocchio tells him that he wants "to do right". Jiminy then sings Give A Little Whistle, and Pinocchio joins in, falling into a pile of toys by accident. This wakes Gepetto, who cautiously searches the room. On finding Pinocchio moving and talking, he first thinks he is dreaming but is eventually convinced, and delighted, that his 'son' is alive. Winding the music boxes, Gepetto, Pinocchio, Figaro and Cleo celebrate. Pinocchio is distracted by a candle and, not knowing what it is, sets his finger on fire; Gepetto panics and extinguishes the wooden boy's finger in Cleo's bowl. He decides that they should go to sleep before anything else happens.

The next morning, the village is awake. The boys and girls hurry to school, and Pinocchio excitedly follows them, but is approached by a fox and a cat, who, knowing the value of a moving puppet without strings, "befriend" him, intending to sell him. The fox introduces himself as Honest John and tells Pinocchio that he is just the type to become an actor. He and his partner Gideon (the cat) lead him through the streets, while Honest John sings "Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee (An Actor's Life For Me)". Jiminy, meanwhile, is "late on his first day", and tries to tell Pinocchio not to give in to temptation, but is ignored, and Pinocchio accompanies the fox and cat to "be an actor" while Jiminy desperately runs after them.

Honest John takes Pinocchio to Stromboli's Caravan, where puppet master Stromboli buys the wooden boy and makes him his star attraction. That evening, Jiminy watches from a lamp post as Pinocchio performs I've Got No Strings for the audience, and is met with enthusiastic applause as onlookers throw money onto the stage, much to Stromboli's delight and Jiminy's surprise. Thinking that he was wrong in trying to stop Pinocchio, Jiminy decides to let the living puppet continue without him. Geppetto, meanwhile, is worried that Pinocchio has not returned from school, and leaves the workshop to look for him. In Stromboli's caravan, after the show, the puppet master congratulates Pinocchio for making him so much money and tells him that he will become a star. Delighted, Pinocchio tries to go home to tell Geppetto and promises to be back in the morning, but is stopped by Stromboli, who grabs him and throws him into a wooden birdcage as he declares that this will be his home. He tells the boy that he will keep him there, taking him out only to put on shows as they tour the world. And when Pinocchio is too old to entertain audiences, Stromboli will use him for firewood. Laughing, Stromboli leaves the carriage, slamming the door. The caravan begins to move, and Pinocchio weeps as he tries to call out to his friend.

Jiminy is outside in the rain, watching the caravan pass. He decides to wish Pinocchio good luck and to say goodbye to him and is surprised to find Pinocchio locked up. He tries to unlock the cage but to no avail. He stays with Pinocchio as the two weep over their predicament. Geppetto passes the caravan, but his calls for Pinocchio are not heard over the rain and thunder. When all hope seems lost after Pinocchio has realized his mistake, the Blue Fairy appears in the caravan. She asks why Pinocchio did not go to school; the wooden boy lies, hiding his shame and telling her that he and Jiminy were captured by monsters. His nose becomes longer with each lie he tells until it becomes a tree limb, complete with leaves and a bird's nest. The Blue Fairy tells Pinocchio that a lie keeps growing, "until it's as plain as the nose on your face" after she informs Pinocchio that he isn't telling the truth. Pinocchio promises to never lie again as Jiminy tells the Blue Fairy to give Pinocchio another chance, and his nose returns to its normal size. The Fairy then frees Pinocchio from the cage and vanishes, saying that this will be the last time she will help them, meaning she could not help them anymore. Jiminy and Pinocchio sneak out of the caravan as it is moving.

Meanwhile, the fox and cat are celebrating at the Red Lobster Inn. Seated opposite them is the Coachman, who listens to their story and decides to catch their attention with a huge bag of money, which he says can be theirs if they bring "stupid little boys" to the crossroads for him to take to Pleasure Island. Though Foulfellow is at first terrified of getting caught, the Coachman assures him that none of the boys ever come back "as boys." As soon as they leave the tavern, the fox and cat find Pinocchio racing Jiminy Cricket home while Pinocchio is going home to begin a fresh start tomorrow, and pretend to be doctors, stating that he is 'allergic' and must go to Pleasure Island to get better. They carry him to the crossroads with Jiminy once again in hot pursuit. When on the Coachman's Stagecoach, Pinocchio meets a bratty kid named Lampwick, who tells him that Pleasure Island is a "swell joint" where boys can run riot without fear of reprimand from authority figures and everything is freely available. The coach reaches the shore, where the boys board a boat which takes them to the island.

As the boys enjoy themselves at the fairground-like Pleasure Island, the Coachman orders his minions to close the doors, locking the unknowing boys in. Later that night, Jiminy searches the now-deserted fairground for Pinocchio. He eventually finds him playing pool with Lampwick, who scoffs that Pinocchio "takes orders from a grasshopper" after Jiminy tells Pinocchio that he has to come home right now and laughs at Jiminy, shooting the cricket down the pool gutter when he admonishes him. Jiminy loses his temper and attempts to leave, quitting as Pinocchio's conscience once again after discovering that Pinocchio is friends with Lampwick. He crawls under the main doors of the fairground to find the Coachman and his minions loading donkeys into crates going to places such as the Salt Mines and the Circus. One donkey, named Alexander, is able to speak. The Coachman throws Alexander into a pen of other donkeys that "can still talk". Jiminy realizes that the donkeys are the same boys that went to Pleasure Island, meaning that they were somehow transformed into donkeys and being sold into slavery. He rushes back to warn Pinocchio, the Coachman having indirectly imparted to Jiminy the knowledge that Pinnochio needs to escape. Back in the pool hall, Lampwick is still laughing about Jiminy and saying that something is gonna happen to them when he suddenly sprouts donkey ears, a tail and even his head is transformed into a donkey. He then looks into the mirror and panics after witnessing the changes. He pleads Pinocchio for help, but the boy is only able to look on in fright as Lampwick's hands turn into donkey hooves. Lampwick's last words are a frantic call from his mother before he loses the ability to talk and turns into a donkey completely. Losing his mind, Lampwick starts to kick everything in the pool hall, breaking a mirror and a table, and kicking his clothes off. A speechless Pinocchio hides behind a chair, and his panic increases when he himself sprouts ears and a tail, but Jiminy arrives just in time to tell him that Pleasure Island is cursed and takes him to an escape route in order to avoid the same terrible fate as Lampwick. Together, they swim to the shore of the mainland with Pinocchio only having a donkey tail and ears, leaving the now-transformed Lampwick and the others behind.

Pinocchio and Jiminy arrive at Geppetto's workshop to discover the old woodcutter has left, along with Figaro and Cleo. A message from the Blue Fairy as a dove informs Pinocchio of his father's location: after venturing out to sea to find Pinocchio, he had been swallowed by Monstro, an enormous whale. Pinocchio resolves to save Geppetto; though Jiminy tries to warn him against it, he accompanies the boy. Tying a rock to his donkey tail, Pinocchio plunges to the bottom of the sea and he and Jiminy begin their search for Monstro. Any sea creatures they attempt to ask to flee at the mere mention of Monstro's name.

Inside the belly of the whale, Gepetto is in a small boat with Figaro and Cleo. They have nothing to eat; Geppetto fears that, unless Monstro opens his mouth soon, they will starve to death. Monstro then wakes from his slumber to surprise a school of tuna, who flee in all directions; Pinocchio and Jiminy see Monstro and, frightened, try to swim to escape; Pinocchio is swallowed but the sprightly Jiminy manages to escape. Pinocchio finds himself on Geppetto's boat, and the woodcarver is relieved to see his son again. Geppetto laments that they could not get out of the whale. However, Pinocchio has a plan; gathering some wood, he starts a fire, which causes Monstro to sneeze the boat out. Jiminy jumps on as they fly past. Furious, Monstro chases the boat and smashes it to pieces with his tail. Pinocchio grabs ahold of his father and paddles for a hole in the cliffs beyond as a means of escape. Monstro enraged as ever, continues to chase after them. Pinocchio succeeds in getting through the hole in the cliff just as Monstro crashes into it. Gepetto, Jiminy, Figaro, and Cleo wash up on shore alive, but Pinocchio is seen floating face down in a deep puddle, apparently having died to try to save his father.

In Gepetto's workshop, Jiminy, Gepetto, and his pets mourn Pinocchio's death. However, in saving his father, Pinocchio has proved himself brave, truthful and unselfish; the Blue Fairy, from afar, grants him life, and he becomes a real boy (the donkey ears and tail disappear). Pinocchio shows the others that he is alive and a real boy and everybody begins to celebrate once again. While the other characters celebrate, Jiminy, standing on the window ledge, gazes at the Wishing Star and thanks the Blue Fairy. As a reward, a gold medal declaring him an 'Official Conscience' appears on his front. The Wishing Star shines in the sky, protecting and illuminating the village forevermore.