The story of Pinocchio, the wooden puppet who desperately wants to be a real boy, has been around for ages. There have been multiple takes on the tale in movies, TV, and books even just in recent years, and 2022 alone stands to see multiple films following the titular character on his quest.
But one of them seems like it’s going to hit a little differently.
The trailer for Pinocchio: A True Story dropped recently and, well, it’s better if you just watch this opening clip for yourselves:
Yes, that’s really this Pinocchio’s voice in the movie and not a funny dub by someone on YouTube or TikTok.
The animated film itself comes from Russia, with English actors doing their own takes for the upcoming American release via Lionsgate. That “yassified” version of Pinocchio is actually none other than Pauly Shore, the 54-year-old comedian best known for the ‘90s flicks Bio-Dome and Encino Man.
Hearing his take on Pinocchio has left people and the LGBTQ+ community in particular, screaming.
It’s even spawned TikTok interpretations of the short clip that are, unquestionably, cinematic masterpieces on their own.
@scotthoyingpinocchio !! more like pinot, glee, and being a hoe!!!
Is this…representation? Hard to say!! It’s certainly a Choice, that’s for sure. And if nothing else, it’s making a lot of people curious to actually watch the movie and see if this voice acting is maintained for the whole of the film and what other miraculous soundbites might come next.