The Shape of Water director Guillermo del Toro will direct an animated version of the fairy tale Pinocchio for Netflix, the streaming platform announced on Monday. The stop motion animated musical will be set in the 1930s in Italy with fascism on the rise, and will follow the efforts of a wooden puppet to become a real boy. Del Toro will write, direct and produce the film, Variety said.
“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,” del Toro said in a statement quoted by Variety. “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.”
Del Toro has collaborated with Netflix on the award-winning television series Trollhunters. The second and third seasons will be premiered in December 2018 and 2019.
Breaking Guillermo del Toro news: The Academy Award-winning filmmaker will write, produce, and direct a stop motion musical version of Pinocchio for Netflix. Del Toro explained, “I’ve wanted to make this movie for as long as I can remember.” Jiminy Cricket! pic.twitter.com/25cVRITSrT
— Netflix Film (@NetflixFilm) October 22, 2018
Production will commence in a few weeks. Del Toro will collaborate with the Jim Henson Company and ShadowMachine, the creator of Bojack Horseman, Variety said. The puppets will be built by the team behind Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride.
The story of Pinocchio has been adapted numerous times for the screen in the live action and animation formats. Disney rolled out an animated version in 1940. In 2002, Roberto Benigni directed and played the lead role in an Italian production.