Since the first appearance of Pinocchio in 1883 when the novel The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi was released, multiple films of the beloved character have been produced. As a matter of fact, three Pinocchio films are being released this year, with Netflix, Disney and Lionsgate bringing different styles and adaptations to each. Surprisingly, one gained popularity in a way producers were not expecting. 

The Lionsgate film, Pinocchio: A True Story, will be released in late March; however, it has already received a lot of attention from social media. Since the release of the trailer in January, it has gone viral on platforms such as Twitter and TikTok. People were shocked at the voice of Pinocchio, specifically his line, “Father, when can I leave to be on my own? I’ve got the whole world to see!” Even Lionsgate hopped on the TikTok trend, making that line an official sound on Tik Tok and calling it “the yassification of #pinocchio.”

It was even more shocking for some to learn that the voice behind Pinocchio is Pauly Shore, a 54-year-old actor and comedian who is predominantly known for his work in the ’90s. He has done multiple voice-acting roles such as Bobby Zimmeruski in A Goofy Movie, Snivel in Casper: A Spirited Beginning and more. 

People have expressed their opinions about how the media is responding to the film and how this could be offensive towards the voice actor, who is shown to be quite experienced. 

Megan Ische, ‘23, expressed her concerns and stated it was “slightly rude to categorize someone just by their voice.”

Although it is true that it is wrong for people to jump to conclusions based solely on one line from a trailer, Shore has expressed his feelings towards his newly refreshed popularity. 

To Us Weekly, he said, “It’s great. People are having fun with it, and it’s silly. I’m in the entertainment business, so if people are entertained, then that’s a good thing, whether they are making fun of my voice or not!”

Shore said he wanted the voice to sound young so that it would represent the character he was playing more accurately. Although he did not expect all this attention over his voice, he is enjoying that people are having fun with his interpretation of the character. In fact, Shore is expected to have a voiceover role for another Lionsgate film, My Sweet Monster.

As the release date approaches, audiences are excited to see the portrayal of Pinnochio in this film compared to the other adaptations of Pinnochio and how Pauly Shore will bring this character to life. 

Joe Rosenstein, ‘23, said, “I am interested in seeing how this film approaches the character, as Pinocchio is a very prominent character in movie history.”