Guillermo del Toro to direct, produce, and write Netflix’s take on ‘Pinocchio’

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Academy Award-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro is going to be taking a stab at making his first animated feature film, and it’s a story close to his heart. Del Toro will be directing, writing, and producing Netflix’s stop motion musical version of Pinocchio. The classic children’s story about a puppet who wanted to be a real live boy will be set in Italy during the 1930s, which is a particularly fraught time in the country. Fascism was on the rise with Benito Mussolini consolidating his control over Italy. Del Toro is no stranger to setting his stories against totalitarian backdrops, he’s done so in the past with films like Pan’s Labyrinth.  

Production on the film is set to start this fall. He will collaborate with the Jim Henson Company with Lisa Henson, ShadowMachine’s Alex Bulkey, Gary Ungar of Exile Entertainment, and Corey Campodonico as producers. Blanca Lista will also co-produce the project. Over The Garden Wall’s Patrick McHale will co-write the script and Fantastic Mr. Fox’s Mark Gustafon will co-direct the film. Guy Davis will serve as co-production designer. The film’s puppets will be built by the team behind Corpse Bride, Mackinnon and Saunders. 

When asked to comment on the project, Del Toro said in a statement, “No art form has influenced my life and my work more than animation and no single character in history has had as deep of a personal connection to me as Pinocchio. In our story, Pinocchio is an innocent soul with an uncaring father who gets lost in a world he cannot comprehend. He embarks on an extraordinary journey that leaves him with a deep understanding of his father and the real world. I’ve wanted to make this movie for as long as I can remember.” 

Source: Variety