The Poohniverse of horror movies just found its conscience, and he looks like your next nightmare. A Nightmare on Elm Street legend Robert Englund is voicing the Cricket in the upcoming horror movie, Pinocchio: Unstrung, and the first-look design is pure menace. It’s definitely a horror movie take on Jiminy, but I’m honestly bugging out over how Freddy-esque the design looks. I seriously can’t stop staring, because I suspect this could be yet another scene-stealing baddy from the legend who brought us Freddy Krueger.
The reveal came via Twisted Childhood Universe’s official X account, which dropped two images, which you can view below, of the creature: a tight, snarling close-up and a full-body shot with those shredded wings and spidery antennae.
First look at Cricket in “Pinocchio: Unstrung” pic.twitter.com/C1gwEQbzGxSeptember 16, 2025
If you’ve been tracking this twisted fairy-tale trend, Pinocchio: Unstrung is the next entry in the same universe that spawned Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey and its sequel (a.k.a. the “Poohniverse”). The franchise has been expanding fast with slashery spins on childhood icons, like 2024’s Bambi: The Reckoning, and Unstrung is positioned to keep the run going. Englund’s casting as the Cricket—traditionally the charming moral compass—signals a sharper, darker take than anything the blue fairy would sign off on.
What jumps out in these images is how aggressively “anti-cute” this design goes. The face is more bark than bug, split by deep, wood-grain cracks that read like age and rot. The fingers taper into hooked talons—closer to a glove full of knives than a sidekick fit for streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Even the posture has that stalking, stage-to-screen predator energy Englund made iconic.
Turning Jiminy—arguably the safest character in the whole fairy-tale canon—into a leathery, winged nightmare is the exact kind of button this universe loves to push. Whether the character is a mentor or tempter, think “devil on the shoulder,” giving Englund the mic practically guarantees a voice that can swing from coaxing to cruel on a dime, and I’m so here for it.
So what are fans saying? Here are a few quick takeaways from comments posted in response to the reveal:
- @HarryBoyXD — “It’s like he was destined to be voiced by Robert Englund. I can’t wait to hear his voice!”
- @percy_pott62144 — “This is the only movie in that franchise with a decent concept. And everything so far has make me interested.”
- @slimm_tyler — “That is so sinister that its cool!”
- @cbrandt701 — “Oh f**k thats creepy 😳”
- @PoissonSumac — “I don’t think this conscience is qualified for his job.”
- @michael9432820 — “I’m so hype for this movie can’t hear what he says like”
Clearly, a lot of horror fans are feeling this one. If you’re rolling your eyes at another public-domain remix, fair. But the early imagery has me feeling like Unstrung isn’t playing safe or cute, but is going for a full-body shudder, which is precisely the lane this franchise has carved for itself. Variety’s earlier reporting laid out just how far the Twisted Childhood Universe plans to push these properties, and this first look backs that up.
Robert Englund as a nightmare Jiminy Cricket is pitch-perfect casting, and the design sells it hard. If the movie matches the mood of these shots, Pinocchio: Unstrung could be the Poohniverse entry that finally gets me to get excited for yet another connected universe of films. Still, only time will tell if the scary Cricket has the same sort of wicked charm we got for so many years from Mr. Krueger and what made him most successful of the ’80s slashers.
Pinocchio: Unstrung has no official release date yet, but it’s expected to land sometime on the 2026 movie schedule. Stay tuned to Cinemablend for updates.
