Guillermo del Toro to Direct Stop-Motion Adaptation of ‘Pinocchio’ for Netflix

It has been announced on Monday, October 22 that Netflix has recruited The Shape of Water director Guillermo del Toro to direct a new stop-motion musical adaptation of Pinocchio. 

Pinocchio is based on the classic Italian children’s novel The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collod. The novel told the story about the poverty-stricken woodcarver Geppetto who transforms a block of wood into a mischievous puppet boy named Pinocchio. Pinocchio then traverses through various adventures and by the end of the journey learns to be kind instead of unselfish. By the end of the novel, Pinocchio is rewarded for his goodness by a magical Fairy and transforms into a real boy.

The live-action adaptation of Collod’s original novel will shift a bit more drastically in terms of setting. The film will take place in Italy in the 1930s during the time of Benito Mussolini’s fascist regime.

Mark Gustafson (Fantastic Mr Fox), Patrick McHale (Over the Garden Wall), Guy @GuyDavisART and Pinocchio himself based on a design by @GrisGrimly. Here we go… pic.twitter.com/gRDaXY8VT9

— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) October 22, 2018

del Toro earned two Oscars for his critically acclaimed film The Shape of Water including Best Director and Best Picture.

He is most renowned for his involvement in works such as Pacific Rim, The Book of Life, and Pan’s Labyrinth.