Everyone’s favorite puppet, Pinocchio, is getting yet another horror movie treatment, this time by way of Pinocchio: Carved from Darkness, which is launching at the Cannes Film Market this week. The character of Pinocchio was first created by Italian author Carlo Collodi in 1881 when ‘The Adventures of Pinocchio’ began as a serialized work of fiction in the magazine ‘Giornale per i bambini.’ The stories were later collected into one novel, which was published in 1883, and the character was made famous by Disney in 1940 when they released their animated classic, Pinocchio.

As per Variety, Pinocchio: Carved from Darkness will be directed by Joona Tena (Superfurball), and produced by Oceana Studios, the same company behind the likes of Terrifier 2, Monstrous, and Lamborghini: The Man Behind the Legend. The premise will see the beloved puppet carved from a block of cursed wood, turning him into a vengeful killer. Check out the full synopsis below.

“This dark turn on Carlo Collodi’s classic 1883 tale sees woodcarver Geppetto carve a puppet resembling his recently deceased son from a of block of wood discarded at a crime scene and cursed by Agatha , the priestess of a dark cult. As Pinocchio turns into a vengeful killer, a teen named Charlie and his mother Nancy arrive in the town looking for a fresh start. Meanwhile, a detective named Georgina starts investigating Agatha’s crimes. The characters intertwine with some tragic consequences.”

Pinocchio: Carved from Darkness has some fairly big names attached thus far, with Peter Stormare (Constantine, John Wick: Chapter 2) on board as Geppetto, Vicki Berlin (Triangle of Sadness) tapped to play the semi-alcoholic mother of Charlie, Nancy, as well as Daniel Nuta (Watcher) who will portray Ronnie, a local gangster who gets mixed up with Charlie’s circle of high school friends. Filming is expected to get underway in early 2025, with the movie aiming for a summer release.

Pinocchio: Carved from Darkness Will Combine Live Action with CGI

This isn’t the first time Pinocchio is being turned into a horror movie, as earlier this year we got our first look at Pinocchio: Unstrung, which comes from the same team behind Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey. Pooh will also square off against Mickey Mouse in the upcoming slasher film, Mickey vs. Winnie from director Glenn Douglas Packard, and if that wasn’t enough, Ghostbusters mainstay Ernie Hudson will star in Oswald Down the Rabbit Hole, which is a horror retelling featuring Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.

With Pinocchio: Carved from Darkness, Danny Sawaf, the CEO of Oceana Studios, says that this new film will be “surreal,” and combine elements of live action and CGI. He promises that audiences are going to be “riveted” by the experience.

“We’re thrilled to tell a story that has entertained people around the world for well over a century. Ours is set in a modern world while subverting the audiences expectations given the character has personified good since its inception. The combination of CG and live action will be surreal and audiences are going to be riveted.”