Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio |
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Release poster
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| Music by | Alexandre Desplat |
| Cinematography | Frank Passingham |
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| Distributed by | Netflix |
| Release date(s) | October 15, 2022 (BFI) November 9, 2022 (United States) December 9, 2022 (Netflix) |
| Running time | 117 minutes |
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| Language | English |
| Budget | $35 million |
| Money made | $108,967 |
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (also known simply as Pinocchio) is a 2022 stop-motion animated musical fantasy movie. It was directed by Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson. The story is based on the 1883 Italian book The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. It also takes ideas from Gris Grimly's drawings for a 2002 version of the book.
The film tells the story of Pinocchio, a wooden puppet who magically comes to life. He becomes like a son to his carver, Geppetto. The movie is about love and learning to follow rules. Pinocchio tries to meet his father's hopes. He learns what it truly means to be alive. The story takes place in Italy during the time between World War I and World War II. The film features the voices of Gregory Mann as Pinocchio and David Bradley as Geppetto. Other stars include Ewan McGregor, Burn Gorman, Ron Perlman, John Turturro, Finn Wolfhard, Cate Blanchett, Tim Blake Nelson, Christoph Waltz, and Tilda Swinton.
Guillermo del Toro had wanted to make this movie for a long time. He felt a deep personal connection to Pinocchio. The film was first announced in 2008. It was planned for release in 2013 or 2014. However, it faced many delays. In 2017, production stopped because no studios would pay for it. Netflix later bought the project, and it was brought back to life. The movie is dedicated to del Toro's parents.
Pinocchio first showed at the BFI London Film Festival on October 15, 2022. It was released in some movie theaters on November 9, 2022. It then started streaming on Netflix on December 9. The film was highly praised for its animation, visuals, music, story, and voice acting. It won many awards, including the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. It also won Best Animated Feature Film at the 80th Golden Globe Awards.
Contents
What the Story is About
The story begins in Italy during World War II. A carpenter named Geppetto is very sad. He lost his son, Carlo, in a bombing. One day, feeling sad and angry, Geppetto cuts down a pine tree. He uses the wood to carve a wooden boy.
A magical being called the Wood Sprite brings the puppet to life. She names him Pinocchio. She also asks Sebastian J. Cricket to be Pinocchio's guide. Sebastian is meant to be Pinocchio's conscience. The Wood Sprite promises Sebastian a wish if he helps Pinocchio.
Geppetto wakes up to find Pinocchio alive. At first, he is scared and annoyed by Pinocchio's playful actions. The village leader, the Podestà, tells Geppetto to send Pinocchio to school. On his way, Pinocchio meets a showman named Count Volpe. Volpe and his monkey, Spazzatura, take Pinocchio to their circus.
Geppetto comes to get Pinocchio back. There is a fight between Geppetto and Volpe. Pinocchio gets hit by a truck and dies. In the afterlife, he meets the Wood Sprite's sister, Death. Death tells Pinocchio that he is immortal. She revives him when a special hourglass runs out. Death warns him that each time he dies, he will spend more time in the afterlife.
After returning, Pinocchio decides to earn money for Geppetto by performing in the circus. He also wants to avoid being forced to join the army. Spazzatura, feeling jealous, tells Pinocchio that Volpe is tricking him. Volpe had promised to send money to Geppetto but never did. Volpe then badly beats Spazzatura, which upsets Pinocchio.
To get back at Volpe, Pinocchio sings a song that makes fun of Benito Mussolini. Mussolini is the leader of Italy at the time. Mussolini orders Pinocchio to be executed and the circus to be burned down. After being revived again, Pinocchio is taken by the Podestà to a training camp. There, boys are trained to fight in the war.
Pinocchio becomes friends with Candlewick, the Podestà's son. Candlewick is afraid of disappointing his father. During a training game, Pinocchio and Candlewick's teams tie. The Podestà orders Candlewick to shoot Pinocchio. Candlewick refuses and stands up to his father. Suddenly, the training camp is bombed by Allied planes. Candlewick and the other boys run away.
Pinocchio is captured by Volpe, who tries to burn him as revenge. Spazzatura saves Pinocchio. During a struggle, Volpe falls off a cliff and dies, along with Pinocchio and Spazzatura.
Lost at sea, Pinocchio and Spazzatura are swallowed by a giant dogfish. Inside the monster, they find Geppetto and Sebastian. They were also swallowed while looking for Pinocchio. Sebastian has an idea: Pinocchio lies, making his nose grow into a long branch. This forms a bridge out of the monster's blowhole. As they escape, Pinocchio sacrifices himself. He sets off a naval mine inside the monster, killing them both.
Pinocchio meets Death again. He asks to be sent back quickly to save Geppetto from drowning. Death warns him that this will make him mortal. But Pinocchio breaks the hourglass to return. He drowns while saving his father. The Wood Sprite appears to a sad Geppetto. Sebastian uses his wish to ask her to revive Pinocchio.
Pinocchio returns home with his father, Sebastian, and Spazzatura. They live together as a family. Pinocchio lives longer than all his loved ones. He then decides to travel the world.
Who are the Voices?
- Gregory Mann voices:
- Ewan McGregor as Sebastian J. Cricket, a traveling cricket. He tells the story and lives inside Pinocchio as his guide.
- David Bradley as Master Geppetto, Pinocchio's father. He is a sad woodcarver grieving his son Carlo.
- Christoph Waltz as Count Volpe, a tricky and mean former rich man. He is now a puppet master and con artist. His name means "fox" in Italian.
- Tilda Swinton as:
- The Wood Sprite, a wise magical fairy who gives Pinocchio life.
- Death, the Wood Sprite's sister who watches over the afterlife.
- Cate Blanchett as Spazzatura, Count Volpe's mistreated monkey helper. His name means "trash" in Italian. He can only speak through the puppets he controls.
- Ron Perlman as the Podestà, a strict government official. He tries to make Pinocchio a soldier.
- Finn Wolfhard as Candlewick, the Podestà's son. He first bullies Pinocchio but later becomes his friend.
- Burn Gorman as the Priest, a Roman Catholic priest in Geppetto's village.
- John Turturro as the Dottore, a doctor who checks on Pinocchio after his first death.
- Tim Blake Nelson as the Black Rabbits, who work for Death.
- Tom Kenny as:
- Benito Mussolini, the leader of Fascist Italy.
- Benito Mussolini's helper.
- A sea captain who tells Geppetto about the Dogfish.
How the Movie Was Made
In 2008, Guillermo del Toro announced his plan for a darker version of The Adventures of Pinocchio. He called Pinocchio his "passion project." He said no other character had such a deep personal connection to him. As a child, del Toro liked Walt Disney's 1940 animated film. He felt it had some scary parts, like a "horror movie." Since his teenage years, he wanted to make his own version. In 2003, del Toro saw Gris Grimly's drawings for the 2002 book. Grimly's Pinocchio had a long nose and thin limbs. Del Toro felt these drawings showed the energy of a wild but good-hearted puppet. He thought Grimly's art fit the serious tone he wanted for his story.
On February 17, 2011, it was announced that Grimly and Mark Gustafson would direct a stop-motion animated Pinocchio film. Del Toro and Matthew Robbins would write it. The film's look would be based on Grimly's designs. Grimly designed Pinocchio to look like unfinished wood. On May 17, 2012, del Toro took over as director. He teamed up with Gustafson, a stop-motion expert. Gustafson had worked on movies like Fantastic Mr. Fox.
In February 2012, del Toro showed some early drawings of Pinocchio, Geppetto, and other characters. On July 30, 2012, ShadowMachine was announced as the animation studio. The movie was supposed to come out in 2013 or 2014. But it faced many delays and no new information came out for years.
On January 23, 2017, Patrick McHale was announced to co-write the script. On August 31, 2017, del Toro said the film needed more money or it would be canceled. On November 8, 2017, he reported the project was not happening. No studios wanted to pay for it. Del Toro decided the movie had to be stop-motion, even if it cost more. On October 22, 2018, Netflix announced it had bought the film.
Most of the development time was spent designing the main characters. They were based on Grimly's designs or created by Guy Davis. Davis joined as a co-production designer. The animation models were made by Mackinnon & Saunders in England. Del Toro called them the "best in the world." They made the puppets for Pinocchio, Geppetto, Sebastian J. Cricket, Count Volpe, and Spazzatura.
Story and Themes
Guillermo del Toro saw links between Pinocchio and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Both stories are about a new being brought to life. A father figure expects them to learn how to be human. Del Toro wanted his Pinocchio to have a gothic feel. But he still wanted it to be family-friendly. He aimed to show compassion, which he feels is important for kids today.
In del Toro's Pinocchio, the wood for the puppet comes from a tree. This tree grows over the grave of Carlo, Geppetto's son. Pinocchio's arrival gives Geppetto a new chance at being a father. But Pinocchio is wild and lively, unlike the quiet Carlo. Sebastian J. Cricket's role also changes. He tries to be Pinocchio's conscience. Pinocchio often ignores him. Sebastian learns that Pinocchio must discover things like love and kindness on his own.
Del Toro did not want too many magical creatures. He made the Fox character into a human, Count Volpe. Volpe combines the characters of Mangiafuoco and the Fox from the original story. The Cat character was replaced by Spazzatura. The "Land of Toys" was replaced by an Italian kids' training camp. Candlewick changes from a bully to a friend.
Most Pinocchio stories are set in a fairy tale world. Del Toro's film takes place in Fascist Italy. This was during the rise of Benito Mussolini. Pinocchio wakes up in a society where people act like obedient puppets. But Pinocchio is independent and cannot be controlled. He does not follow rules or obey leaders, even Mussolini.
The film shows Pinocchio becoming more human. In the end, he chooses to become mortal to save Geppetto. Del Toro wanted to move away from the original book's message. That book seemed to encourage blind obedience to parents and leaders. Del Toro's film focuses on self-discovery and making your own choices. It also explores father-son relationships. Geppetto struggles to accept Pinocchio as his own, not just a replacement for Carlo.
Many past versions of Pinocchio show him needing to become a "real boy" of flesh and blood. Del Toro rejects this idea. He believes Pinocchio does not need to change physically to be loved. The movie says that being human is about feelings and actions. Pinocchio does not care if he turns into a "real boy." The real change is Geppetto learning to love Pinocchio for who he is.
Voice Casting
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When choosing the voice cast, del Toro and Gustafson picked many talented actors. Some had won Academy Awards. Daniel Radcliffe, Tom Waits, and Christopher Walken were first thought of for roles. John Hurt was also considered for Geppetto, but he passed away before recording began.
On January 31, 2020, it was announced that Ron Perlman, Tilda Swinton, Ewan McGregor, Christoph Waltz, and David Bradley joined the cast. Bradley was chosen because he had worked with del Toro before. He felt his role as Geppetto was an "emotion rollercoaster." Perlman was first cast as Mangiafuoco. But when that character was removed, Perlman became the Podestà. Waltz was cast as Count Volpe.
On August 19, 2020, Gregory Mann, Cate Blanchett, Tim Blake Nelson, Finn Wolfhard, John Turturro, and Burn Gorman were added. For Pinocchio, del Toro wanted a child actor who sounded like a normal boy. Gregory Mann was chosen for his amazing voice range. His voice made Pinocchio sound like a natural child, but also very emotional.
Finn Wolfhard recorded some of his lines as Candlewick with Gregory Mann. He felt more comfortable recording with others. Cate Blanchett asked del Toro to join the film. She had worked with him on Nightmare Alley. She took the role of Spazzatura the Monkey, even though it was the only one left.
Filming Details
Filming started in Portland, Oregon in January 2020. Production continued until early Summer 2022. Some parts were handled by del Toro's studio in Guadalajara, Mexico. All sets, props, and costumes were made to look very real. This mixed stop-motion with live-action styles. Animators were told to make the puppets act naturally. They even made them "make mistakes" like itching or sneezing.
For Count Volpe's carnival, the designers used ideas from del Toro's previous film, Nightmare Alley. That movie also had a carnival. The scenes in the afterlife and the end credits were animated by a studio in Guadalajara.
Visual Effects and Music
The film's look was created with very detailed sets and characters. This was to make Collodi's story different from the Disney animated version. Del Toro said he loved Disney animation. But he wanted to make a movie about a puppet using puppets. He wanted to push the limits of stop-motion.
Moving Picture Company worked on the visual effects. Alexandre Desplat composed the film's music and original songs. This was his second time working with del Toro.
Release Information
In November 2018, Netflix planned to release the film in 2021. In January 2021, Netflix said the release might be moved to 2022 or later. In December 2021, del Toro confirmed it would be in late 2022. The film officially premiered at the BFI London Film Festival on October 15, 2022.
It first showed in the United States at the AFI Fest on November 5, 2022. It was released in select movie theaters on November 9, 2022. It began streaming on Netflix on December 9, 2022.
In Mexico, some movie theaters canceled screenings. This caused protests from del Toro. He wanted people in his home country to see the film. Many independent theaters and clubs then showed the movie. A large screening was held in Mexico City's main square, the Zócalo, on December 30. About 1,400 people attended.
From December 4, 2022, to January 4, 2023, the film played at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. This was part of an exhibition called "Guillermo Del Toro: Crafting Pinocchio." The exhibition showed how the film was made.
Images for kids
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Release poster
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Guillermo del Toro
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Ewan McGregor
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David Bradley
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Ron Perlman
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Cate Blanchett
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Christoph Waltz
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Tilda Swinton
See also
In Spanish: Pinocho de Guillermo del Toro para niños
