How Disney’s “Pinocchio” Became the Studio’s Most Terrifying Classic (Ep. 330)

The Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

Places & Travel, Society & Culture, Tv & Film

4.7 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 28 October 2025

⏱️ 58 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Jim Hill and Drew Taylor celebrate Halloween week by taking a deep dive into Disney’s darkest fairy tale — and the long, strange legacy of “Pinocchio.” From canceled attractions and creepy Hong Kong mazes to Julie Taymor’s unrealized Broadway musical, this little wooden boy has haunted Disney history for over 80 years. Why Walt Disney once scrapped six months of work on “Pinocchio” The forgotten Disneyland expansion that almost gave us “Pinocchio Square” How Hong Kong Disneyland turned the film into a full-blown haunted maze Julie Taymor’s eerie, abandoned “Pinocchio” stage musical The odd connections between “Pinocchio,” “Wicked,” and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” Plus Drew talks about four new animated shorts that he recently saw at Disney Studios which are up for Oscar consideration next year A spooky, story-filled episode perfect for animation fans and Halloween listeners alike. Unlocked Magic Unlocked Magic, powered by DVC Rental Store and DVC Resale Market, offers exclusive Disney & Universal ticket savings with TRUSTED service and authenticity. With over $10 MILLION in ticket sales, use Unlocked Magic to get the BIGGEST SAVINGS. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn More⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome back to fine tuning with Drew Taylor.
0:02.6	Your one-stop shop when it comes to animation news and commentary.
0:06.2	I'm entertainer writer Jim Hill and Mr. Taylor,
0:08.7	whose writings on the industry you can regularly read over on the rap
0:12.2	and whose musings on the Mission of Possible movies you can still listen to
0:17.4	on Light Diffuse, the official Mission Impossible podcast.
0:22.4	Drew and I are recording this week's show on Saturday, October 25th, which is a wee bit
0:29.8	early for us. But that said, Drew, it's not early out in Hollywood, at least when it comes
0:37.1	to award season, right?
0:38.7	No, Jim, we are fully in it.
0:40.5	I remember Jim asked me, like, I think last week, what my schedule was.
0:44.7	And I said, I think I'm doing four Q&As this week.
0:47.6	So, yeah, we're in it.
0:49.6	We're in it.
0:50.2	Did some great ones at animationist film last weekend and hope everybody had fun there and then yeah
0:57.2	just did a really fun one at waltesey animation studios with four of the contenders for the best
1:02.3	animated short this year jim so you know that was fun that is so cool now you know again i don't completely understand the rules of award season now, but can
1:14.2	you talk it all about these, a little about these shorts? Yeah, sure. So one of them was called
1:21.4	Forever Green, which is directed by two Walt Disney Animation Studios guys, and was art directed by a guy named Jeremy Spears who does these amazing wood carved animals.
1:35.2	Jim, have you seen these?
1:36.2	His shop is called Whittle Workshop.
1:38.7	That is a very familiar name.
	...

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