Tudum is a global fan gathering hosted by Netflix, and Guillermo del Toro attended as a special guest in anticipation of the premiere of his Pinocchio remake. The renowned director shot a special behind-the-scenes movie to commemorate the event, providing an eye-popping glimpse at the custom-made sets and figures that went into making his passion project a reality. In the opening of the video, del Toro invites us inside his universe as shots from the film are shown in a time-lapse that details the work of the team in making each scene. Crew members are responsible for the smooth and energetic movements of the characters in each shot, and they are also responsible for setting up the location to achieve the desired mood.
According to del Toro, they wanted to portray the human element present on site and highlight the practical over the digital by combining sophisticated stop-motion methods with the handcrafted, somewhat rough-around-the-edges aesthetic of handmade figurines. After the intermission, the director provides viewers with a visual reference for the miniatures utilised in the production. He is carrying a miniature Pinocchio puppet in his hand and is standing next to a big Pinocchio head to demonstrate the range of sizes they work with. He describes the many roles each puppet plays, from Pinocchio and Sebastian J. Cricket in close-ups to larger-than-life images designed to belittle Pinocchio.
In the end, del Toro declares his undying affection for the original Pinocchio story, and we get to see a few more stunning examples of the film’s painstaking handiwork. If you weren’t happy with Disney’s live-action Pinocchio remake from Robert Zemeckis earlier this year, del Toro’s version may be just what you’re looking for. The Oscar-winning filmmaker of The Shape of Water decided to add a few more realistic and unpleasant elements to the delightful tale of Pinocchio, despite the fact that the original 2D version was already rather terrifying. Based on an interview with Ron Perlman from last year, we know that del Toro chose to put the picture in Mussolini’s fascist Italy on purpose.
In addition to having less cartoonish character designs, del Toro’s adaption seems like it will be more serious than its forerunners. Gregory Mann stars as Pinocchio and Ewan McGregor provides the voice of Sebastian J. Cricket thanks to the A-list ensemble that del Toro assembled for his fantastic new flick. Also starring in the film are Perlman, David Bradley, Finn Wolfhard, Tilda Swinton, Cate Blanchett, John Turturro, and Christoph Waltz. Del Toro recruited Mark Gustafson to serve as co-director, while Patrick McHale contributed to the script. The world premiere of Pinocchio, directed by Guillermo del Toro, will take place during the BFI London Film Festival, which takes place from October 5th to the 15th of this year. After that, on November 25, it will have a limited theatrical release before making its way to Netflix on December 9, just in time for the holidays.