Finally, A Sneak Peek At Guillermo Del Toro’s Stop-Motion Animation ‘Pinocchio’ Remake For Netflix

It’s a fact universally acknowledged that not all reboots, remakes or revamps are created equal.

While there is the rare remake that truly brings a different perspective to an old story, there are a hundred others that could have easily gone untold. That’s why it takes a visionary creator to put their own spin on a classic tale. And who could be more visionary than Guillermo del Toro?

You may have heard, but the Oscar-winning Mexican filmmaker is in the middle of filming a stop-motion animation version of the beloved children’s classic, “Pinocchio.” And on Monday, we finally got a first look at the animated film, which is set to debut in December.

The sneak peek shows the conscientious cricket — who goes by Sebastian J. Cricket in this version — talking to the audience about the real events of the story of Pinocchio.

“I want to tell you a story,” Sebastian says. “It’s a story you may think you know but, you don’t. Not really. You see I, Sebastian J. Cricket, was there. As a matter of fact, I lived, actually lived, in the heart of the wooden boy.”

The visuals of the 53-second clip are immediately arresting. After all, stop-motion animation is a painstaking craft that requires an immense amount of skills, patience and attention-to-detail. And that’s why it takes a visionary creator to put their own spin on a classic tale. And based on what we’ve seen so far, Guillermo del Toro is going above and beyond.

I love this, feels so romantic, nostalgic, a bit creepy too…it's right up my alley.

— SUSPIRIORUM (@TXCTNI) January 24, 2022

The official Netflix synopsis describes Guillermo Del Toro’s “Pinocchio” as a reinvention of the “classic tale of the wooden marionette who is magically brought to life in order to mend the heart of a grieving woodcarver named Geppetto.”

But in this version, the story will be set in the early 1900s during the rise of fascism in Mussolini’s Italy. You didn’t expect Guillermo Del Toro’s “Pinocchio” to go the simple route, did you?

Del Toro’s “Pinocchio” remake was announced in 2018 and at the time, del Toro described the project as a “very very very personal” one.

Del Toro never misses when he makes a dark fantasy movie. This one seems to be perfect for him.

— Leandro Illustra (@LeandroIlustra) January 24, 2022

“No single character in history has had as deep of a personal connection to me as Pinocchio,” del Toro said in a statement. “I’ve wanted to make this movie for as long as I can remember.”

Late last year, del Toro told Collider that he planned to turn the message behind the original story on its head.

“It’s unlike any version of the story you’ve ever seen,” he said. “It’s completely unlike it. It subverts the moral underpinnings of the original fable, which is, in order to be a real boy you have to change. You’re going to become flesh and blood. This is about becoming a real boy by acting… acting like a real human, period.”

Sounds like the perfect movie to watch in December when cozied up on the couch with your familia. And knowing Guillermo del Toro, “Pinocchio” will be thought-provoking, heartwarming and entertaining all at once.