Pinocchio: The Wishing Star Cut

Pinocchio: The Wishing Star Cut (colloquially referred to as the Zemeckis Cut) is the director's cut of the 2022 Disney+ film directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Robert Zemeckis, Chris Weitz and Simon Farnaby and produced by Walt Disney Pictures. It is a live-action adaptation of Disney's 1940 animated film of the same name, which was based on Carlo Collodi's eponymous book. The film stars Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Tom Hanks, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Cynthia Erivo, Lorraine Bracco, Kyanne Lamaya, Jaquita Ta'le, Lewin Lloyd, Giuseppe Battiston and Luke Evans. It's scheduled to be released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Many people expressed interest in Zemeckis' version of the film, which they often referred to as the "Zemeckis' Cut". Although most industry insiders reported its release unlikely, Disney moved ahead with it, Zemeckis announced it would be released as Pinocchio: The Wishing Star Cut as a Disney+ Original Film. $150 million was spent to complete the visual effects, score and editing, with new material being shot. The release was completely planned as a long feature-length film in September 2022 at Disney+ Day within favor of releasing it as the latter.

Premise
When the woodworker Geppetto sees a falling star, he wishes that the puppet he just finished, Pinocchio, could become a real boy. In the night, the Blue Fairy grants Geppetto's wish and asks Jiminy Cricket to serve as the wooden boy's conscience. But the naive and trusting Pinocchio falls into the clutches of the wicked Honest John, who leads him astray to the sinful Pleasure Island.

Plot
Jiminy Cricket addresses the audience as the narrator to tell a story of a wish coming true. The story takes place in a small Italian village in 1895, a cricket enters the home of a widowed elderly woodcarver named Geppetto, who lives with his pet kitten, Figaro, and goldfish, Cleo. Geppetto has completed work on a marionette based on his deceased son, which he names Pinocchio. Before falling asleep, Geppetto wishes upon a star for Pinocchio to be a real boy.

Later that night, the star magically brings Pinocchio to life and he is soon visited by the Blue Fairy who tells him that if he acts brave, truthful and selfless, he can be a real boy. The Blue Fairy also appoints Jiminy the responsibility of being Pinocchio's conscience to teach him right from wrong. When Geppetto awakens and finds Pinocchio alive, he is at first shocked, but becomes overjoyed.

After a few days, Geppetto sends Pinocchio to school. However, Pinocchio is soon approached by con-artist fox "Honest" John and his cat partner Gideon. Honest John convinces Pinocchio that he should live a life of fame to truly be a real boy, when he really plans to sell him to the puppet master Stromboli. Jiminy, with the help of a seagull named Sofia, convinces Pinocchio to continue going to school, but Pinocchio is thrown out by the headmaster because he's a puppet. Pinocchio decides to go to Stromboli's after all while Honest John places a glass jar over Jiminy. The pigeon, Carrie, pecked the jar ends up freeing Jiminy from it and she gives him a ride to Stromboli's theater. Geppetto, Figaro, and Cleo go out to look for Pinocchio when he fails to come home for dinner.

At the theater, Pinocchio befriends one of Stromboli's employees, Fabiana and her puppet Sabina. Pinocchio puts on a good show for the crowd, he becomes Stromboli's star attraction but when he tries to go home, but Stromboli locks him in a bird cage to prevent him from ever leaving to tour the world with him. After Jiminy unsuccessfully tries to free his friend, the Blue Fairy appears and an anxious Pinocchio lies about what happened, but his nose grows longer and longer. The Blue Fairy restores his nose and frees him when Pinocchio promises to make amends but warns him that she can no longer help him.

Soon, Pinocchio is swiped up by a coach full of children driven by a "mysterious" charismatic Coachman, who is taking everyone to Pleasure Island, where misbehavior is encouraged. Once there, Pinocchio gets disturbed by the brutality the kids display, which amuses an irresponsible boy named Lampwick. Jiminy, who has been separated again, soon finds that all of the children have turned into donkeys and that the Coachman sells them to the salt-mines and the circuses with help from his shadowy bigfoot-like henchmen. Pinocchio witnesses Lampwick's transformation at a billiard hall as Pinocchio gains a donkey's ears and tail. Pinocchio and Jiminy escape the island before the Coachman and his goons can get them, then Lampwick kicks Coachman off and falls into the sea.

Pinocchio and Jiminy make it back to Geppetto’s workshop deserted, but find get a letter from the Blue Fairy in the form of a dove, stating that Geppetto had gone out looking for Pinocchio and sailed to Pleasure Island where he learned Pinocchio was taken to but was swallowed by a giant enormous and terrible sperm whale named Monstro. In the sunrise, Pinocchio reunites with Fabiana and Sabina who tell him that Stromboli has been arrested by the Carabinieri for the abuse of his exploited employees and they have taken over his puppet show. They offer Pinocchio to join them, but Pinocchio declines, wanting to save his father, which makes his donkey parts disappear.

Sofia reunite for Jiminy and Pinocchio pulls a rope for him to hold out to the sea, where they soon find Geppetto in his boat. Just as they reunite, they are swallowed by a giant enormous and terrible sperm whale named Monstro. They take refuge in a giant boat in Monstro's stomach and Pinocchio gets the idea to make him sneeze by starting a fire within him. The plan works, and Monstro sneezes them out, but the enraged whale chases them and smashes their raft with his tail. Pinocchio selflessly pulls Geppetto with Jiminy in his shoulder to safety in a cove just as Monstro crashes into it and Geppetto is seemingly killed.

Believing his father has died, Pinocchio mourns over him and a magical tear falls from his eye on Geppetto, reviving him. Geppetto tells Pinocchio that despite being a puppet, he has proven himself to be a true boy at heart. Jiminy narrates that stories have been told of Pinocchio becoming a real boy, but doesn't confirm them, stressing that Pinocchio has a brave, honest and selfless heart, and that he's fully real to his proud and loving father. Pinocchio and Geppetto depart for home as Pinocchio's limbs appear to turn human.

Cast

 * Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Pinocchio
 * Tom Hanks as Geppetto
 * Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Jiminy Cricket
 * Cynthia Erivo as the Blue Fairy
 * Lorraine Bracco as Sofia the Seagull
 * Rosie O'Donnell as Carrie the Pigeon
 * Kyanne Lamaya as Fabiana
 * Jaquita Ta'le as Sabina
 * Keegan-Michael Key as "Honest" John
 * Giuseppe Battiston as Stromboli
 * Lewin Lloyd as Lampwick
 * Luke Evans as the Coachman

Transcripts
Pinocchio: The Zemeckis' Director's Cut/Transcript