When Tom Hanks isn’t (fictionally) discovering some of the most iconic musicians of all time, he is (fictionally) a lonely old man, making wooden clocks and toys in his isolated home, wishing upon a shining star for a child of his own. The man has range!
The first teaser for Robert Zemeckis’ upcoming adaptation of Pinocchio has been released, with Hanks portraying Geppetto, the woodworker with a heart of gold. Not to be confused with Guillermo del Toro‘s upcoming Netflix version of Pinocchio, or that other live-action one from 2020, or even the highly-memed version from earlier this year. The inevitable dark reboot of the story hasn’t been announced, though they did use one of Pinocchio’s cheery songs as a backdrop to 2015’s Avengers: Age Of Ultron trailer for some reason.
Hanks will appear alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Cynthia Erivo, Keegan-Michael Key, Luke Evans, and Lorraine Bracco in the magical tale, which will premiere on Disney+ on September 8th, which just so happens to be Disney Plus Day. The trailer also features the iconic tune “When You Wish Upon A Star” which has become Disney’s signature song.
If you are unfamiliar with the decades-old story, here is a brief synopsis:
Academy Award® winner Robert Zemeckis directs this live action retelling of the beloved tale of a wooden puppet who embarks on a thrilling adventure to become a real boy. Tom Hanks stars as Geppetto, the wood carver who builds and treats Pinocchio (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) as if he were his own son. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is Jiminy Cricket, who serves as Pinocchio’s guide as well as his “conscience”; Academy Award® nominee Cynthia Erivo is the Blue Fairy; Keegan-Michael Key is “Honest” John; Academy Award® nominee Lorraine Bracco is Sofia the Seagull, a new character, and Luke Evans is The Coachman. Also in the cast are Kyanne Lamaya as Fabiana (and her marionette Sabina), Giuseppe Battiston as Señor Stromboli and Lewin Lloyd as Lampwick.
Check out the trailer above.