Pinocchio 2022 ending explained: Does Pinocchio turn into a real boy in this remake of the 1940 film?

Directed by Robert Zemeckis, Pinocchio is an American musical fantasy film based on Carlo Collodi's 1883 Italian book The Adventures of Pinocchio. The 2022 live-action version of the tale is also an adaptation of the 1940 animated film of the same name.

The movie was released on Disney+ on Thursday, September 8, 2022.

The story revolves around the wood-carver Geppetto, who carves out a puppet boy and names it Pinocchio. The tale and both films follow a puppet's journey after he is brought to life by a wishing star. However, he can only become a human if he becomes brave, truthful, and unselfish.

Read on to find out more about how Pinocchio (2022) ended.

Pinocchio (2022) ending explained: Does Pinocchio turn into a real boy in this remake of the 1940 film

What happens after Pinocchio is brought to life but stays of wood?

A few days after Pinocchio came to life, Geppetto realized that Pinocchio needed to go to school like every other child. Therefore, he sent Pinocchio to school with a book and an apple for the teacher. Geppetto also told him to be mindful of the lanes since they could be confusing and gave him a landmark that would help Pinocchio return home.

He was happy to go to school and was right behind the other children when he was interjected by Honest John, a fox, and his partner Giddeon, a cat. John, intrigued by a live wooden boy, tried to coax the wooden boy into accompanying him to the theater and promised him fame and money. Initially, Pinocchio resisted but gave in and accompanied John.

He was spotted by Jiminy Cricket midway through, who made him understand that Honest John was the face of temptation and could take him further from his dream of becoming human. A convinced Pinocchio headed to the school only to be kicked out by the teacher who said that the school was for "normal kids."

After they successfully trapped Jiminy Cricket in a glass jar, a dejected Pinocchio was approached by John and Giddeon again. John also convinced Pinocchio to accompany him to Stromboli, the renowned marionette, and sold him to the giant Italian puppeteer.

Stromboli displayed Pinocchio at his show that evening and earned a fortune. Pinocchio also met Fabiana and her puppet, Sabina, who became the only thing he could resonate with. However, after Stromboli captured him, he lost trust in mankind and even declined Fabiana's offer to help.

Eventually, Jiminy Cricket arrived and helped Pinocchio escape. However, misery was far from over for the extraordinary wooden boy. As soon as the two were about to cross a cobbled street, Pinocchio was kidnapped by the Coachman in a wagon filled with children.

Upon inquiring, Pinocchio found that the Coachman was taking the children to the Pleasure Island, the biggest joy joint with no parents, police, or rules. Contrary to the 1940 film, the coach comprised both girls and boys.

When Pinocchio tried to protest, he was shut down by the others and the Coachman. They arrived at the Pleasure Island sometime later. It looked like an amusement park with free servings of root beer, junk food, free shoplifting joints, and free bricks to hit things. Additionally, it turned out to be a Degrade School, a Contempt Corner to use slurs, and Clock Stoppers where the kids smashed clocks.

Unlike the 1940 animated film, Pinocchio was scared of the unruly behavior of children on Pleasure Island. While he did not question anything initially, he freaked out after watching his friend Lampy transform into a donkey.

Meanwhile, Jiminy Cricket explored how the children were fed a root beer that transformed them into donkeys and then loaded onto ships to be trafficked to salt mines.

How did Pinocchio rescue himself, and what happened after?

After watching the horrors of the kids' transformation, Jiminy Cricket rushed to warn Pinocchio, who had already grown a tail and a pair of donkey ears. Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket fled as the Coachman and his monsters arrived. The two then jumped into the ocean to escape the trafficker.

When Pinocchio returned home, he did not find Geppetto anywhere. Sophia, the bird, informed them that Geppetto had left for Pleasure Island to bring Pinocchio back and had sold all his cuckoo clocks to buy a small boat.

With Sophia's help, Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket spotted Geppetto in the middle of the ocean and called out to him. The latter recognized his son's voice and turned his sails. But just as they were about to meet, Monstro the whale came out of nowhere and swallowed both father and son.

Inside the whale's belly, Pinocchio came up with the idea to start a fire that would make the whale sneeze and create an impact enough to push them out of its belly. While the idea worked, their boat broke into two pieces, and Geppetto almost drowned before being saved by his son.

The furious whale tried to attack them again, but Pinocchio saved his family by super-paddling the remaining boat with his father, Jiminy Cricket, Cleo, and Figaro. They entered a crevice at the last moment and were saved.

Did Pinocchio turn into a human after saving his family and avoiding all temptations?

After everyone was brought ashore, Pinocchio realized that Geppatto was still and not breathing. He called out to his father and cried. He then hummed a song, moments after which Geppetto spurted water out of his mouth and regained consciousness.

Geppetto told his son that he saved all of them and remarked, "No real boy could do such a thing." As soon as he said this, Geppetto realized that Pinocchio had always wanted to be a real boy. He apologized for imposing his wants on him by saying, "You will always be my real boy."

The film ended with the father and son following a blue light to get out of the crevice, while Jiminy Cricket addressed the viewers and said,

"And since then many stories have been told about him. People say he was transformed into an honest-to-goodness real boy. Did that actually happen? Who knows? But I do know one thing for sure. In his heart, Pinocchio is as real as any real boy could ever be."

Pinocchio is currently streaming on Disney+.