New ‘Pinocchio Unstrung’ Clip Reveals the Twisted Childhood Universe’s Bloodiest Chapter Yet

The Twisted Childhood Universe has spent the past few years turning beloved storybook characters into unlikely horror icons, and the franchise shows no signs of slowing down. What began with a killer Winnie the Pooh has since expanded into a growing roster of twisted fairy tale villains, each one darker and more elaborate than the last.

Now the franchise is preparing to introduce its most ambitious entry yet, one that puts a very different spin on a story most audiences grew up with. Rather than a simple lesson about honesty, this new take reimagines the classic wooden puppet as something far more sinister, and fans are getting their first real glimpse at just how far the filmmakers are willing to go.

That reimagining comes in the form of ‘Pinocchio Unstrung,’ the fifth installment in the Twisted Childhood Universe, and a newly released exclusive clip is giving audiences a taste of what to expect. The film unfolds inside an elite London prep school, where Pinocchio, created by Geppetto and influenced by a sinister version of Cricket, launches a violent crusade to carve himself into a real boy just like his brother James, one piece at a time.

Richard Brake stars as the obsessive Geppetto, while horror legend Robert Englund lends his voice to Cricket, marking yet another genre icon joining the franchise’s growing list of horror veterans. Pinocchio himself is voiced by Jude Evan Lloyd and brought to life through a practical animatronic built by Todd Masters, whose credits include work on ‘Tales from the Crypt’ and ‘Slither.’ Cameron Bell, Jessica Balmer, Jack Art Gray and Peter De Souza-Feighoney round out the rest of the cast.

Writer and director Rhys Frake-Waterfield, the filmmaker behind the original ‘Winnie-the-Pooh, Blood and Honey,’ has been vocal about wanting this installment to push the franchise’s tone even further than previous entries. He described the film as a load of fun, adding that fans could expect it to be kooky, crazy, and fun in the same spirit as his previous projects, in an interview with Variety. Frake-Waterfield also expressed hope that the film would be among the first of its kind in the horror space, leaning into a genuinely fresh take on the material rather than simply repeating the franchise’s earlier formula.

That ambition appears to extend beyond just tone. According to Frake-Waterfield, this installment benefited from a noticeably bigger budget than earlier Twisted Childhood Universe entries, allowing the production to bring in bigger names and invest more heavily in practical effects. The film reportedly steers away from the classic lying is bad narrative most versions of the story lean on, instead introducing new elements like a mother tree character while embracing the story’s gorier potential head-on.

Englund’s involvement adds another layer of horror pedigree to the project, following a long career that includes his iconic turn as Freddy Krueger in the ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ franchise. Because his role is entirely voice work, Englund was able to contribute to the project without needing to travel for physically demanding scenes, a detail Frake-Waterfield specifically pointed to as part of the creative reasoning behind casting him as Cricket.

Early reactions following the film’s premiere at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival in April have already suggested this entry may be a standout for the franchise. Several reviewers have pointed to the film’s practical puppetry work as a highlight, with some noting that the Pinocchio design manages to evoke both dread and unexpected sympathy despite the character’s murderous rampage throughout the story.

With ‘Pinocchio Unstrung’ set for a worldwide theatrical release on July 24, the Twisted Childhood Universe continues expanding ahead of its planned crossover event, bringing together several of its reimagined characters. Given the buzz already building around this installment, it looks poised to be one of the more talked-about entries in the growing horror franchise.

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