Guillermo del Toro fans will be delighted with the news that Netflix has said that his stop-motion musical adaptation of Pinocchio is finally set for a December release. Director del Toro is collaborating with Mark Gustafson on the film and a teaser has already been released featuring the voice of a new character–Cricket.
There is a star studded cast and the following are confirmed. Ewan McGregor is the voice of Cricket, a new character in the ancient tale of Pinocchio. David Bradley voices Geppetto while Gregory Mann lends his voice to Pinocchio. Other stars include
Finn Wolfhard
Cate Blanchett
John Turturro
Ron Perlman
Tim Blake Nelson
Christoph Waltz
Tilda Swinton
Burn Gorman.
Netflix, del Toro and others decided on making the film in 2018. Del Toro released a statement saying that Pinocchio had a “deep, personal connection’ with him. He also said that in their story Pinocchio was an “innocent soul” who embarks on an extraordinary journey to understand his “uncaring father” with a deeper understanding as well as to understand “the real world.”
Del Toro’s Pinocchio is set in the 1930’s, when fascism was rising in Italy. At that time Benito Mussolini was increasing his stranglehold in the country.
Del Toro has worked with Netflix in the Emmy award winning television series “Trollhunters” as well as other projects. However, this is his first feature directorial venture with the streaming platform.
Another unique feature in this film is the different approach taken as a new character narrates the iconic adventures of the wooden puppet, in the teaser. Ewan McGregor voices the role of Sebastian J. Cricket, who says that it lived inside the puppet, in the “heart of the wooden boy.”
The Wrap reported that the film went through changes, setbacks as well as delays but has been a “passion project” for Toro from years. Del Toro wrote the script along with Patrick McHale. In Cricket’s words in the trailer, Pinocchio is “a story that you think you know, but don’t.”
Guillermo del Toro’s PINOCCHIO, a stop-motion, musical reimagining of Carlo Collodi’s iconic story, is coming to Netflix in December 2022. pic.twitter.com/TadYIHYp9y
– Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) January 24, 2022
