Fans are ready for a different spin and darker take on a classic tale with Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio. The stop-motion animated film stars Gregory Mann in the titular role, with Ewan McGregor as Sebastian J. Cricket, Ron Perlman as Podesta, Finn Wolfhard as Candlewick, and David Bradley playing Geppetto.
Discussing Film recently spoke with Guillermo del Toro during the red carpet premiere of his film, where the director shared his beliefs surrounding animation as a medium. He was adamant that it's not just for kids, but rather, it's an art form. "It's half my career, so it feels really good to be here finally." Gris Grimly was initially set to help the project all the way back in 2011 until del Toro replaced him in 2012. "You know we had a long, long, long road. Many, many hours and years of work of dozens, then hundreds, then thousands of artists. We wanted to show that animation is not a genre for kids," del Toro explains. "It's a medium. Animation is film. Animation is art, and it can tell stories that are gorgeous and complex, and that feel handmade by humans for humans."
Clearly, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio is not explicitly designed for children, as the official synopsis reads: "A darker version of the classic children's fairy tale of a wooden puppet that transforms into a real living boy." The film is set for release later this year, debuting on Netflix on Dec. 9.
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio is Set Against the Backdrop of Fascism
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio will undoubtedly be quite different from the recent Disney interpretation starring Tom Hanks. The film by del Toro is set against the backdrop of fascist Italy, with the setting lending itself to a darker tone. Del Toro recently spoke with The Hollywood Reporter to discuss the themes surrounding fatherhood and Fascism. In his statement, he says his other films, such as Pan's Labyrinth and The Devil's Backbone, share similar themes to his Pinocchio.
"The three movies are to do with childhood coming up against something that has to do with war and violence," del Toro explains. "I think for me, it's always been the movies about fatherhood and being a father or being a son, and I think in those iterations, Fascism seems to be concerned with a father figure of a different kind, and the desire to deliver ourselves to a father that unifies thought. So I think it's both a background and it is something interesting thematically."
Guillermo del Toro always does something exciting and unique with his films, resulting in five Oscar nominations and two wins, including Best Picture for The Shape of Water in 2018. Fans can see the director's spin on a classic fairy tale when Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio arrives on Netflix on Dec. 9.