Pinocchio: Top 10 Best Movie And TV Adaptations, Ranked by IMDb

With the May 31, 2022 release of the teaser trailer for the Disney+ live-action remake of Pinocchio starring Tom Hanks as Geppetto, it’s a good time to look at the many other adaptations of this popular fairy tale.

There have been both animated and live-action adaptations from all over the world, including the birthplace of the fairy tale – Italy. Many of these are geared toward children, but some darker ones are made for adults. 2022 alone will bring several other versions of the Pinocchio story, including one by Oscar-winning fantasy director Guillermo del Toro.

The Adventures of Pinocchio (1996) – 5.2

This live-action adaption starred Home Improvement’s Jonathan Taylor Thomas as Pinocchio and Martin Landau as Geppetto and had creature effects by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.

While a fairly straightforward adaptation, it featured several deviations such as the main villain being a combination of three of the book’s villains:  Mangiafuoco, the Coachman, and the Dogfish/whale. Another unusual feature is that Geppetto has a love interest in the form of the stand-in for the Blue Fairy, Leona. While this version does have beautiful visuals and effects it had tonal issues. It seems to be stuck between a darker, more mature take and a lighter, whimsical interpretation.

Pinocchio (2008) – 5.4

This Italian-British miniseries starred Academy Award nominee Bob Hoskins as Geppetto and Robbie Kay as Pinocchio. Kay went on to play Peter Pan in the ABC series Once Upon a Time.

This miniseries features impressive Italian landscapes. It also has the unique feature of the cricket being played by a woman (Luciana Littizzetto). A standout of the miniseries is the solid performance by the late actor Bob Hoskins, who believably played Geppetto. However, despite having been made in the late 2000s, the special effects often struggle.

Pinocchio in Outer Space (1965) – 5.6

Pinocchio must prove he deserves to be a real boy by capturing Astro, a space whale, in this animated Belgian film.

This is a unique take on Pinocchio, as well as being a sequel of sorts. The film starts out with the Blue Fairy punishing Pinocchio by turning him back into a puppet for lapsing back into his old ways. The outer space setting is just one of the unusual choices this version makes. Other interesting features include the fox and cat being beatniks and Pinocchio meeting Nurtle the Turtle, an alien secret agent.

Pinocchio (1976) – 5.7

This TV musical adaptation stars popular performers Sandy Duncan as Pinocchio and Danny Kaye as Geppetto.

This version unusually features a woman as Pinocchio, Broadway performer Duncan. Classic movie actor, dancer, and comedian Kaye stars as Geppetto, which makes this version stand out. The film has a framing device of a small girl (also played by Duncan) wanting independence from her father (also played by Kaye). The songs were written by Billy Barnes, who wrote for many famous performers such as Angela Lansbury and Barbra Streisand. The tone of this adaptation is far more overly cheerful than many other adaptations and lacks the edge of the original story.

Pinocchio (2019) – 6.2

This Oscar-nominated Italian live-action adaptation features Roberto Benigni as Geppetto.

Although still whimsical in places, this version of Pinocchio is much darker than adaptations usually go. It features such disturbing scenes as Pinocchio being hung by the cat and the fox. Another interesting feature is that this is the second Pinocchio adaption to feature Benigni, having previously starred in the title role in 2002. Although this version is not very child friendly, it is still a unique movie with impressive visuals and a tone much closer to the original story.

Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night (1987) – 6.3

This animated sequel features James Earl Jones as the voice of the Emperor.  A year after becoming a real boy, Pinocchio (now a puppet again), a marionette, and a glow-worm look for an enchanted music box. Meanwhile, Scalawag and the Emperor of the night also want the music box.

While technically a sequel to Pinocchio, it does have several similarities to the original Disney animated version – such as a conscience character similar to Jiminy Cricket, musical numbers, animal con artists, etc.  This movie is child friendly, however, it does have many dark aspects – for example, the scene where Pinocchio is forced to dance until he turns back into a puppet.

Pinocchio (1984) – 6.4

This adaptation starred Paul Reubens as Pinocchio and Carl Reiner as Geppetto as part of Shelley Duvall’s Faerie Tale Theatre. The cast has many other well-known actors as well, such as James Coburn, Lainie Kazan, and Jim Belushi.

Reubens takes many cues as Pinocchio from his most famous character Pee-Wee Herman. Reubens’ previous character Pee-Wee is very child-like and innocent, which makes him a good choice for the young character Pinocchio. This is a fairly straightforward retelling, although it is often played mostly for laughs, as were other Faerie Tale Theatre adaptations.

The Adventures of Pinocchio (1976) – 7.4

This colorful anime series by Japan’s Nippon Animation ran for 52 episodes.

This is a mostly faithful adaptation, with a few expansions and deviations to fit the series format. One interesting change is that instead of the cricket being Pinocchio’s conscience the role is split between Gina, a duckling, and Rocco the woodpecker. Certain characters have much bigger roles such as the Fox and the Cat, and the Fairy with the Turquoise Hair. While a light adaptation it does have its scary moments, such as Pinocchio having a dream where he is attacked by giant numbers, and an extended sequence of Pinocchio’s donkey transformation.

Pinocchio (1940) – 7.5

This Disney adaptation is what many think of as the classic retelling of Pinocchio. This was the next full-length animated movie Disney made after the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937.

 This Pinocchio features memorable Disney songs such as “When You Wish Upon A Star” and characters like Jiminy Cricket. It also features some very dark aspects (particularly for a Disney movie) – for example, the Coachman, a demon-like villain who gets away with turning boys into donkeys with no repercussions.  This adaptation is one of the most influential, and other versions often borrow elements from it.

Le Avventure di Pinocchio (1972) – 7.8

This highly rated adaptation of Pinocchio is an Italian-made, live-action, five-part miniseries.

This miniseries takes a far more grim and realistic approach than other more fantastical versions. An unusual feature is that Pinocchio shifts back and forth between puppet and human form depending on how he behaves, rather than simply turning human at the end. Also unusual is that the Fairy with the Turquoise Hair is a reincarnation of Geppetto’s deceased wife. This is a heartfelt yet dark adaption with its own unique identity.