From the imaginative minds of Mark Gustafson (The California Raisin Show, The PJs and Fantastic Mr. Fox) and Guillermo Del Toro (The Shape of Water, Hell Boy), comes what many, including myself, are already anticipating to be the best adaptation of Pinocchio in decades, if not ever. In addition to the voice talents of Ewan McGregor, Christoph Waltz, and Gregory Mann, frequent del Toro collaborators like Ron Perlman and Burn Gorman are back.
While the story of Pinocchio is heavily associated with the 1940s animated film, that version isn’t the first. The story has been retold dozens of times. Pinocchio’s tale originates as a serial in 1880s Italy. Then, it was bound into one of the first successful children’s books, The Adventures of Pinocchio. Because the author, Carlo Collodi, worked as a satirist and journalist in the early stages of a unified Italy before writing this series, I think it’s quite fitting that del Toro is attached. The co-director is drawn to the humanity of the marginalized and, like Collodi, speaks through his art. After all, fascists, Nazis, and industrialists have been villains in a lot of his work.
Here we see a grieving father version of Geppetto and Pinocchio at odds. Instead of the story driven by Pinocchio’s naivetĂ© and wishful thinking, something is broken between them. It might have to do with Geppetto’s fear of losing another son. The human designs are detailed and textured, but the enchanting elements come from their non-human characters—for example, the designs of Cricket, Pinocchio, and the sphinx, which look inspired by Egyptian, Greek, and Assyrian antiquities. Just look at its BLUE EYES!
del Toro’s attachment to the film was first way back announced in 2008. Many bumps and delays later, and it’s finally within reach! I can’t believe that we got Wendell & Wild and Pinocchio back-to-back. Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio comes out on Netflix on December 9, and in some select theaters.
(featured image: Netflix)
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