“Pinocchio” is a well-known story about a little wooden boy who wants to become a real boy. Soon, we’ll get to see a creative take on the story. Guillermo del Toro, who has written and directed some of the best fairy tale movies of our time, such as “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “The Shape of Water,” is making a stop-motion animated movie about a doll who wants a real body.
It looks fantastic, and the stop-motion models are some of the most detailed I’ve ever seen. Del Toro’s “Pinocchio” will go back to the story’s roots by riffing on the 1883 novel by Carlo Collodi and changing it to tell a story about the dangers of fascism that fits more with del Toro’s style.
“Pinocchio” fans will soon be able to see a live-action version of the story, so there will be plenty of Pinocchio to go around. In “Our Flag Means Death,” the Revenge crew loves Pinocchio, so you know it’s unique. Here’s everything you need to know about the Netflix version of del Toro’s book.
What is Pinocchio?
The first version of “Pinocchio” was about kids learning how to be good adults and giving up their childlike wonder. The story was full of moral lessons, which is why Disney made it into an animated movie in 1940. Del Toro has never really cared about following rules and fitting in, and his version of the story will take place in an authoritarian Italy around World War II.
Pinocchio will have to learn to avoid the dangers of fascism, which are, in my opinion, much scarier than being turned into a donkey. The movie will be darker than the Disney version, but it will still have lessons about questioning authority and standing up for what’s right. In an interview with Vanity Fair, the director said that Pinocchio is turned into a soldier instead of a donkey during the scene on Pleasure Island where the bad boys are turned into donkeys:
Del Toro has always used his work to criticize fascism. Fascists have been the bad guys in several of his movies. Hellboy fights Nazis, and in “Pan’s Labyrinth,” Ofelia fights her fascist stepfather, who is an army captain. It will be interesting to see how he uses these ideas in a story geared more toward families. We’ll have to wait and see if Pinocchio’s nose grows when he lies, but based on that puppet’s pointed nose, I think it’s a safe bet.
Pinocchio: The Plot
Look at the setting to get an idea of how different del Toro’s Pinocchio will be: Italy in the 1930s when Mussolini came to power. Pinocchio comes from an Italian book written in 1883 by Carlo Collodi, so the setting of Italy is not new. Italy was also the setting for the first Disney animated movie. Interestingly, this animated movie came out in 1940, as World War II was starting.
But in both the original story and the Disney movie, the story took place in small Italian towns around the turn of the 19th century. That is a bit different from the mood of a country on the way to the Second World War. Of course, del Toro is known for his dark and twisty stories, so we shouldn’t have been surprised.
This version of “Pinocchio” was thought up by del Toro, who is co-directing the movie with “Fantastic Mr. Fox’s” Mark Gustafson. The script was written by del Toro and Patrick McHale (“Adventure Time”). Del Toro and Katz wrote the song lyrics, and “The Shape of Water” composer Alexandre Desplat composed the music and score.
The puppets are made by Mackinnon and Saunders, who also made the puppets for Tim Burton’s “Corpse Bride.” Gris Grimly, who wrote and illustrated children’s books, came up with the original design for Pinocchio.
The movie is made by Guillermo del Toro, Lisa Henson for The Jim Henson Company, Alex Bulkley and Corey Campodonico for ShadowMachine, and Gary Ungar for Exile Entertainment. Grimly and Blanca Lista from The Jim Henson Company work together to make the show. The director of photography is Frank Passingham, who also shot the beautiful Laika movie “Kubo and the Two Strings.”
Pinocchio Cast
“Pinocchio” has a lot of great talent behind the scenes, and some of today’s biggest stars will also lend their voices to the movie. Cricket, who helps the wooden boy on his journey, will be played by Obi-Wan Kenobi actor Ewan McGregor, while puppet maker Geppetto will be voiced by “Game of Thrones” actor David Bradley.
Tilda Swinton, Christoph Waltz, Cate Blanchett, John Turturro, Ron Perlman, Tim Blake Nelson, Finn Wolfhard, and Burn Gorman are some of the other big names in the cast. Gregory Mann, who is new to the model, will give Pinnochio’s voice.
Del Toro has worked with many of the cast members before. He brought back some of his regular collaborators, like Perlman and Gorman, both great actors who already understand del Toro’s unique vision. December can’t get here soon enough.
Pinocchio Release Date
In December, Netflix will unveil Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio film, which features stop-motion animation. On December 9th, Pinocchio will be available to stream online. The film will also be made available in theatres, although the exact release date for the theatrical version has not yet been disclosed.
Pinocchio Trailer
Here is an official teaser of Pinocchio:
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