Matteo Garrone’s ‘Pinocchio’ with Roberto Benigni lands Christmas Day release from Roadside Attractions
Roadside Attractions will release the English-language version of Matteo Garrone’s visionary new imagining of the treasured family classic, Pinocchio starring Roberto Benigni and newcomer Federico Ielapi on December 25. The company is eyeing up to 2000 screens for the Christmas release, buoyed by the success of Pinocchio‘s UK performance, where distributor Vertigo Releasing likewise favored an English language version over subtitles in its successful August 2020 wide theatrical release.
“We love the emotional and fantastical storytelling of this new Pinocchio, and, with what’s shaping up to be a challenging holiday season for families, we think this English language version will be a welcoming escape for any kids and parents with a nose for adventure and mischief,” said Roadside co-presidents Howard Cohen and Eric d’Arbeloff.
Garrone’s rich world of mystery and wonder premiered at the 2020 Berlin Film Festival and stars Academy Award-winning actor Benigni as Geppetto, the old woodcarver whose puppet creation, Pinocchio, magically comes to life with dreams of becoming a real boy. Easily led astray, Pinocchio (9-year-old Ielapi) tumbles from one misadventure to another as he is tricked, kidnapped and chased by bandits through a wonderful world full of imaginative creatures – from the belly of a giant fish, to the Land Of Toys and the Field Of Miracles.
One of the world’s most loved children’s literature classics, Pinocchio has been translated into more than 300 languages from the original 1883 novel written by Carlo Collodi, and remains amongst the top 50 bestsellers globally.
Garrone (Dogman, Tale of Tales, Gomorrah) co-wrote the screenplay with Massimo Ceccherini and re-united with director of photography Nicolai Brüel, production designer Dimitri Capuani, costume designer Massimo Cantini Parrini and editor Marco Spoletini. The visionary character design of two-time Academy Award-winning makeup artist Mark Coulier (The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Iron Lady) brought Pinocchio and his friends to life. Academy Award-winning composer Dario Marianelli (Paddington 2, The Darkest Hour, Atonement) wrote the original score. Visual effects were created by Rachael Penfold and her BAFTA and Emmy-winning team at One Of Us.
Producers are Archimede’s Matteo Garrone, Le Pacte’s Jean and Ann-Laure Labadie, Recorded Picture Company’s Jeremy Thomas and Rai Cinema’s Paolo Del Brocco. Executive producers are Alessio Lazzareschi, Peter Watson, and Marie-Gabrielle Stewart.
Check out the first trailer below.
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
- 2024 Camerimage Film Festival: Danish Oscar Entry ‘The Girl With the Needle’ Wins Golden Frog - November 23, 2024
- 2025 Oscar Predictions: BEST PICTURE and BEST DIRECTOR (November) - November 22, 2024
- 2025 Oscar Predictions: SUPPORTING ACTOR (November) - November 21, 2024
2024 Camerimage Film Festival: Danish Oscar Entry ‘The Girl With the Needle’ Wins Golden Frog 
Interview: ‘Gladiator II’ Cinematographer John Mathieson on Reuniting with Ridley Scott and Continuing the Legacy and Lore 
Interview: Alan Menken and Glenn Slater on Creating the Songs and Score for ‘Spellbound’ and the “Perfectly” Cast Rachel Zegler 
2025 Oscar Predictions: BEST PICTURE and BEST DIRECTOR (November)