Moviefone Editorial

Tag: pinocchio

  • ‘Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2′ Interview

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    Opening in theaters for a limited engagement on March 26th, 27th, and 28th is ‘Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2,’ which stars Scott Chambers, Ryan Oliva, Eddy MacKenzie, Lewis Santer, Marcus Massey, Tallulah Evans, and Simon Callow.

    Related Article: ‘Steamboat Willie’ Enters Public Domain, Sparking Two Horror Movies

    'Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2.'
    ‘Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2.’ Photo: ITN Distribution.

    Moviefone recently spoke with director Rhys Frake-Waterfield and producer-actor Scott Chambers (who produces under the name Scott Jeffrey) about ‘Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2,’ expanding their use of the public domain children’s characters, and their ambitious plans for what they call the Twisted Childhood Universe.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch the interview.

    'Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2.'
    ‘Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2.’ Photo: ITN Distribution.

    Moviefone: When you did the first one, it seems that you really didn’t have expectations that it would take off the way it did, did you?

    Rhys Frake-Waterfield: No. We’ve produced a lot of entry-level, low-budget films. I started directing only about two or three years ago, so we didn’t really have much of a scope or understanding of the scale these projects were initially going to be. They were mostly for the VOD market, so we were just running basically. Then we’d done that one. The principal photography budget was only 20,000 pounds, so absolutely nothing, student films are often more than that. Then about three months later, it started going absolutely wild online and getting shared everywhere. We were like, “Holy s**t.” This turned from a tiny budget VOD movie into something which is being shown theatrically worldwide. We did some pickups and reshoots and bits like that, but even then the budget was still miniscule in comparison to what a film of that scale should really be getting made on. However, on the sequel, we’ve had a significant jump up in the budget now, and we’ve had more time to cultivate the story, and ensure it’s going in a good direction, getting fan feedback and such. So far, everything we’ve heard of people who have seen it, from all the screenings and stuff, has been really, really positive, so we are super excited for it to be released.

    MF: What was your biggest takeaway from the whole experience and was there anything else that you learned from doing the first one and the reaction to it?

    RFW: When you start any job, and you start doing something for the first time, you’re never at your full potential. Everyone’s learning, everyone’s getting better and better. For me, when I directed that one, I was still learning quite a bit. It was still quite early. I’ve learned a significant amount since then from all aspects of it, and I’ve had to ensure that on the sequel, everything’s basically stepped up massively compared to the first film. One key element is obviously the story. I wanted the protagonist in this new version to re-center itself towards Christopher Robin because he really should be the main protagonist. He’s what the books are known for, or he’s the character known around the books. Then, we are big horror fans, and all horror fans love practical effects. They love gore, the death scenes, so we made sure to get someone really good on board to handle that for the sequel so we used the prosthetic studio who have worked on Voldemort and Captain America and stuff. They’ve done an absolute excellent job in redesigning the creatures. They’ve gone from a single-piece mask on them to actual prosthetics designs so when the characters move their faces, they’re going with it. It’s just not feeling like this singular piece, and hopefully you can tell from the trailer there’s some really cool gore effects on there, there’s a lot of death in this movie. But there’s a lot of story and heart with it as well. The writer I got on board, Matt Leslie, worked with me for about three or four months prior to filming, just cultivating the story and changing things rather than the tiny timeframe I had in the first one, which was literally less than a week to go from brainstorming everything to writing it.

    'Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2.'
    ‘Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2.’ Photo: ITN Distribution.

    MF: Were there still legal hurdles to watch out for in this one in terms of what you could use from the books? Was making Christopher Robin more central and introducing characters like Tigger a result of more changes to the copyright?

    RFW: There are always areas you need to be careful of when you are using an IP like this. Disney has their interpretation of it and their version of it, which they built on from the original 1926 [book], and that doesn’t change. All of their aspects, and their unique elements need to stay as they are. You’re right, Tigger has only come in the public domain in January this year, that’s why he’s been able to get introduced into the sequel. In terms of bringing Christopher Robin in as the main character, that isn’t actually anything to do with IP or any changes, we could have done it in the first film. There was just a couple of reasons. There was some indirect pressure to move [the first film] in a different direction, and also to make it more focused on a ‘girls in the cabin’ kind of approach. But we really decided that in a sequel that wasn’t the right way to go with it, and that’s why we’ve re-centered it towards that.

    MF: Scott, what was behind the decision for you to play Christopher Robin this time? [Nikolai Leon played the role in the first movie.]

    Scott Chambers: It is the most intimidating role that I’ve had to date just because, from producing the first one, I saw the amount of just nasty people out there that just want to be hateful, want to send death threats, and all this. Obviously up until now my acting CV’s fairly classy. Then Rhys was like, “Do you want to do ‘Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2’?” I was like, “All right. Yeah, why not? It’ll be fun.” I did actually think it would be fun, so I just thought, screw it. But my agent was a bit on the fence about it, I think again, because she was potentially a bit nervous about what could come out of this. But I did believe in Rhys. I always believed in Rhys. The negative stuff that he got from the first one, what can you do? It was made on 20,000 pounds. The same year ‘Skinamarink‘ came out, it was made on $15,000 and had no actors, no locations other than a house, it was all found footage. We had a cast, we had deaths, we had gore, we had location changes, we had a whole team of people working on it, so he did the best he could and I really believe in him. I’m glad that I took that leap of faith because on the set I felt like I wasn’t let down. I feel like he always had my back. I just got to work with people like Simon Callow, who’s incredible. It was easier this time casting it because people wanted to be in it. Whereas the first one, it was like, you couldn’t really get anyone to be in it. They were just like, “Winnie-the-Pooh, what? No.”

    'Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2.'
    ‘Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2.’ Photo: ITN Distribution.

    RFW: I’d say there was still some challenges with some of the casting because you are coming off of a film which had a lot of difficulties to begin with. However, a lot of people started believing in the script when they read it. That’s how we got Simon Callow involved. He read it and he really liked the character and he could see potential in it and it started snowballing from there. We had Simon Callow, we’ve got Alec Newman, he was in ‘Dune’ [the Syfy miniseries], and a lot of other very professional actors. Peter DeSouza-Feighoney, he’s from ‘The Pope’s Exorcist.’ So the cast has really come around in this one. I think that’s partly a byproduct of the story being very good as well so they’re happy to come on board.

    MF: You’ve also got ‘Peter Pan’ and ‘Bambi: The Reckoning’ in the works. So talk a little bit about expanding this universe and the overall roadmap you see ahead.

    SC: Yeah, we just shot ‘Bambi: The Reckoning’ in January with [director] Dan Allen, who is a British filmmaker. It’s crazy that he’s not working, he should be on really big sets, he’s great. So we are bringing in British filmmakers that we really believe in because we don’t want to do every single one ourselves in terms of directing, because obviously Rhys is working on the ‘Winnie’ franchise and then I’m directing ‘Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare.’ All these films at the moment, they’re introductions to these characters. When you watch the films, you’ll see the threads that link them all together and there is an end goal. I think people are going to be very happy where this is going and it’s onwards and upwards. Every film’s going to be better than the last. We’re excited about where this is going, aren’t we, Rhys?

    'Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2.'
    ‘Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2.’ Photo: ITN Distribution.

    RFW: Yeah and in ‘Winnie 2’ as well, when people watch that, like Scott was saying, there’s a lot of Easter eggs which will hint towards some of these other elements, towards some other films coming up, links towards ‘Winnie 3’. There’s elements and Easter eggs in there where the story’s going to go towards.

    MF: What is the overarching plan?

    RFW: Basically it’s called ‘Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble,’ so it’s our version of ‘Avengers Assemble'[note: Marvel‘s ‘The Avengers‘ was titled ‘Avengers Assemble’ in the UK]. All of the big creatures which we are doing standalone movies for — Winnie, Bambi, Peter Pan, Pinocchio — they’re going to be working together in this. We haven’t seen this in horror. We’re massive horror fans. I know it doesn’t really get critically viewed well, but I love ‘Freddy vs. Jason‘ and these kinds of crossovers. I find them really fun. You’ve got the monster universes, but they don’t really interact well that much. So we thought, okay, let’s try and do a horror one, because we are doing all these individual films, we can bring them all as one, which a lot of other studios can’t because of IP issues and such.

    MF: There was a definite tongue-in-cheek vibe to the first ‘Winnie-the-Pooh.’ Is that something you’ve carried over to the second one? And will there be a different tone for each film?

    RFW: Yeah, that’s a really good question, tone, because a lot of people overlook that. In the first film, some people think I was being dead serious when I made it, and I’m shocked when I read that people think I was seriously trying to make some scenes just dead scary. But I was going for this campy, goofy vibe just because I find it really fun. I like that. I have a love for B-movies. However, in the sequel, I did decide that it needs to go into a more serious direction. However, it’s not dead serious because ultimately it’s still Winnie-the-Pooh. You still need to have fun with the concept itself. But I wanted to introduce more traditional horror into there, so there are moments where people will find these characters scary, but they are also doing crazy things, a little bit like the Freddy Krueger films. He’s scary, but he’s also doing fun stuff. In terms of the other films, because we’re introducing different directors for each of the films, they each have their own style, and it wouldn’t make sense to make them all aligned to the exact same tone, even though they’re in the same universe. Scott’s will probably be the darkest of the lot. I’d say ‘Bambi’ is somewhere in between ‘Winnie’ and ‘Peter Pan.’ Then when we get onto ‘Pinocchio,’ I think ‘Pinocchio’ will probably lean more towards fun. Do you know how Chucky has this fun vibe to him? He’s not just as dark and as serious as what Scott’s going for. So they each have their own individual tones, but that also makes it fun and engaging where it doesn’t feel like the same film over and over.

    'Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2.'
    ‘Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2.’ Photo: ITN Distribution.

    SC: It doesn’t make sense really with ‘Peter Pan’ to even tonally make that fun, because it is a man abducting children. So instantly for me I was like… It’s like we wanted to play to our strengths and my strengths. I love suspense, I love mystery. I’m a massive fan of French horror like ‘High Tension.’ I’m obsessed with stuff like that and ‘Inside‘ and all these types of films and I’ve taken a lot of that inspiration. I want real performances that feel gritty as hell, and I want savageness in it. I did start to develop this ‘Peter Pan’ that was a bit more crazy and wacky, but it just didn’t feel right and I didn’t feel the passion to direct it. Then with my new script, I can’t wait.

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    What is the plot of ‘Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2’?

    Now that Christopher Robin (Scott Chambers) has revealed the horrifying nature of their existence in the 100-Acre-Wood, Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Owl, and Tigger wage a vicious, gruesome war against Christopher Robin’s hometown of Ashdown as they decide to stop hiding and seek revenge against their former friend.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2’?

    • Scott Chambers as Christopher Robin
    • Ryan Oliva as Winnie-the-Pooh
    • Peter DeSouza-Feighoney as Young Winnie-the-Pooh
    • Eddy MacKenzie as Piglet
    • Lewis Santer as Tigger
    • Marcus Massey as Owl
    • Simon Callow as Cavendish
    • Tallulah Evans as Lexy
    'Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2.'
    ‘Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2.’ Photo: ITN Distribution.

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2’:

    Buy ‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey’ on Amazon

  • ‘Wish’ Interview: Directors Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn

    (Left) 'Wish' co-director Chris Buck. (Right) 'Wish' co-director Fawn Veerasunthorn.
    (Left) ‘Wish’ co-director Chris Buck. (Right) ‘Wish’ co-director Fawn Veerasunthorn.

    Disney Animation Studios gears up for its new feature-length animated movie, timed with the studio’s 100th anniversary. ‘Wish’ is helmed by Chris Buck (‘Frozen II’) and Fawn Veerasunthorn (‘Raya and the Last Dragon’). It’s an original fairy tale with an art style inspired by the looks of classic Disney animated movies and the theming of wishing upon a star.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn after a presentation for ‘Wish’ at the El Capitan Theater in Los Angeles. The two directors discussed the inspiration behind the upcoming animated feature, how many Easter Eggs they managed to sneak into the film, the influences for some of the musical numbers, and working with Ariana DeBose.

    Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster-Jones, Peter Del Vecho, SVP, Feature Film Production, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Fawn Veerasunthorn and Chris Buck speak for "Wish" at the Long Lead Press Day In-Person Presentation for 'Wish' at El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles, California on September 21, 2023.
    (L to R) Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster-Jones, Peter Del Vecho, SVP, Feature Film Production, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Fawn Veerasunthorn and Chris Buck speak for “Wish” at the Long Lead Press Day In-Person Presentation for ‘Wish’ at El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles, California on September 21, 2023. Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney.

    Moviefone: To begin with, given the title of this film and how much was inspired by the classic Disney message of “When you wish upon a star,” was it always the plan to release this movie timed to the Disney 100th anniversary?

    Chris Buck: Yeah. Jen (Lee) had sort of whispered in my ear. We were in the last year of ‘Frozen 2’. She says, “You know 2023 – is just around the corner, we gotta do something special.” We weren’t sure what yet, and so even though we were still finishing up from ‘Frozen 2,’ we pinned up all these stills from each Disney animated movie. I could see on one bulletin board the breadth of all the different styles and all the different years. Everything that Walt (Disney) and beyond had done, what the company had done. So that’s where it started because it wasn’t just the breadth of everything, but then you can see the connection between the movies, and then you can see characters wishing on stars. So then it just became sort of obvious, it’s like this movie has to be about a wish and it has to be wishing on stars.

    Ariana DeBose as Asha and Alan Tudyk as the pajama-wearing goat, Valentino in “Wish,” which is helmed by Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn.
    (L to R) Ariana DeBose as Asha and Alan Tudyk as the pajama-wearing goat, Valentino in “Wish,” which is helmed by Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn. The feature film releases Fall 2023.

    MF: You talked about being inspired by Disney classics like ‘Beauty and the Beast‘ and ‘Pinocchio.’ We definitely saw the inspiration in the film’s artwork. Did you manage to sneak in Easter eggs for all the Disney fans and if so, can you tease any?

    Fawn Veerasunthorn: You’ve seen some today. The big musical number where you may have heard a certain deer’s name (‘Bambi‘) in there. And there might have been some bunny who thumps a lot. I know we started from the ground up with aiming for this to be an original fairy tale, right? Part of celebrating the future, and coming up with something new with a contemporary song. Along the way, we just couldn’t help ourselves – being Disney fans, creating movies for Disney fans – that there are these ideas that come up, and we try to be tasteful about it and not that it’s distracting, but if you love Disney movies, when you go to see this film…

    CB: …You’ll pick up quite a few. There’ll be some fans who pick out ones that maybe we didn’t even consciously do. I mean, it’s already happened. We have a list. It’s a long list.

    Related Article: ‘Once Upon a Studio’ Features 543 Characters From 85 Different Disney Movies

    'Wish' opens only in theaters on Nov. 22, 2023. © 2023 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
    ‘Wish’ opens only in theaters on Nov. 22, 2023. © 2023 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

    MF: One of the scenes that we got to see today is where Asha is the tour guide, and she breaks into a musical number and we know that she’s voiced by Ariana DeBose but Asha’s movement matches the way Ariana moves. How was that achieved? Did you capture her dancing in the studio, or was it from purely watching her dance footage?

    VF: For this song, we work with a choreographer from Spain, actually. We talked about Rosas as being a fictional place, but it’s a destination that people come from all over the world, but the main influence is North Africa and Southern Europe. In talking with him, we also wanted to infuse that modern sensibility because with Julian Michael’s writing of these songs, you can’t avoid it. So those aspects came together, and he created the dance reference for us onstage in Spain where we filmed it. Then our animators studied it. We also talked to Ariana about the way she moves and the way she thinks Asha would move and react to those two big factors

    CB: They would also record not only for the dialect sessions but also her musical sessions. So when she is singing and acting, you know, she’s moving, and so our animators are looking at that, getting the cues and all that.

    'Wish' opens only in theaters on Nov. 22, 2023. © 2023 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
    ‘Wish’ opens only in theaters on Nov. 22, 2023. © 2023 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

    MF: Finally, were there any specific sequences, numbers or characters that were a bit challenging for you in the making of this film?

    CB: They all have their own challenges. Sometimes what you think is going to be a very simple one could be deceiving. I mean, they’re all a challenge, they are all so exciting to play with and to do new things. But I don’t think there’s ever a formula that you say, ‘It’s gonna be easy.”

    VF: They come with their own sets of joy and challenges.

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    What Is The Plot Of ‘Wish’?

    Set in the magical kingdom of Rosas, the story introduces Asha (Ariana DeBose), an optimist with a sharp wit who deeply cares about her community. When Asha turns to the sky in a moment of need and makes a wish, her plea is answered by a cosmic force — a little ball of boundless energy called Star. Together, they face the most formidable of foes to save her community and prove that when the will of one courageous human connects with the magic of the stars, wondrous things can happen.

    Who Is In the Cast of ‘Wish’?

    'Wish' opens only in theaters on Nov. 22, 2023. © 2023 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
    ‘Wish’ opens only in theaters on Nov. 22, 2023. © 2023 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Wish:’

    Buy Tickets: ‘Wish’ Movie Showtimes

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  • Movie Review: ‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio’

    Pinocchio (voiced by Gregory Mann) in Guillermo del Toro's 'Pinocchio.'
    Pinocchio (voiced by Gregory Mann) in Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Pinocchio.’ Photo: Netflix © 2022.

    Arriving on Netflix (following a brief theatrical run) on December 9th, Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation of ‘Pinocchio’ marks the second major adaptation to arrive this year.

    And this is, by a long distance, a much more satisfying, very different version than the Disney offering that landed on Disney+ back in September.

    In fact, we’ll go so far as to say that there is more inventiveness, care and technique in one wooden finger of this passion project from the director of ‘Hellboy’, ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ and ‘The Shape of Water’ than in the entire Disney effort, which offered minor charms and little reason to justify its existence.

    A passion project of the Mexican director for many years, representing several false starts and financial frustrations, that it’s arriving at all is miracle enough, but that it’s this good is even more reason to celebrate.

    Yet this is also no sanitized, completely family-friendly affair. There is a darkness and element of horror at the heart of del Toro’s film, which feels even more in keeping with Carlo Collodi’s moral fable.

    Gepetto (voiced by David Bradley) and Pinocchio (voiced by Gregory Mann) in Guillermo del Toro's 'Pinocchio.'
    (L to R) Gepetto (voiced by David Bradley) and Pinocchio (voiced by Gregory Mann) in Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Pinocchio.’ Photo: Netflix © 2022.

    Drawing on the classic tale, the stop-motion musical follows the extraordinary journey of a wooden boy magically brought to life by a father’s wish. Brought, it should be said, to life by a wood sprite creature that wouldn’t look out of place in one of del Toro’s live-action fantasies, and voiced by Tilda Swinton, whose character has a sibling in the spirit of Death, whom Pinocchio meets more than once on his travels.

    And continuing a theme he established in ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’, del Toro uses war and totalitarianism as the backdrop for the narrative. Set during the rise of Fascism in Mussolini’s Italy, this is a story of love and disobedience as Pinocchio (voiced by Gregory Mann) struggles to live up to his father Geppetto’s (David Bradley) expectations.

    If Disney’s take featured the now-iconic version animated version of the main character overlaid with a CG sheen, its hard angles lovely sanded down to a smooth, kiddie-pleasing finish, so del Toro and co-director Mark Gustafson opt for a gnarly, more realistic puppet that looks like it was carved from waste wood, all knots and stumpy bits of carpentry. Though this living marionette is no less appealing.

    An agent of chaos from the off, Mann’s Pinocchio chafes against rules and regulations, finding fun in disobedience, and needing to learn that there’s a time and place for such behavior.

    Still, he’s a loveable lad, singing his way through some memorable numbers and encountering fear from the townsfolk. And he has his conscience present and correct––living (literally) in his heart––in the shape of Ewan McGregor’s Cricket.

    Sebastian J. Cricket (voiced by Ewan McGregor) in Guillermo del Toro's 'Pinocchio.'
    Sebastian J. Cricket (voiced by Ewan McGregor) in Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Pinocchio.’ Photo: Netflix © 2022.

    The expected beats of the story––Pinocchio tempted away from attending school by the lure of fame from manipulative, cruel showman Count Volpe (Christoph Waltz)––are all found here, but this take on the take expands it beyond those boundaries to explore death, disobedience and those (such as Ron Perlman’s Podesta, who fervently believes in the darkness spreading across his country) would champion hurtful ideologies. After all, it’s not every adaptation of ‘Pinocchio’ that would dare to have Mussolini as a character, and then have the lead sing a song that roundly insults him.

    Del Toro worked on the screenplay Patrick McHale and Matthew Robbins, and the result of their toil is a clear-eyed and timeless fable.

    Voice-wise, the cast is spot on. Mann (doing double duty as Geppetto’s late son Carlo in a flashback to how the poor land died and as the central character) is charming without ever tipping over into precociousness.

    David Bradley, who might be better known to audiences as the grumpy Argus Filch from the ‘Harry Potter’ franchise, here infuses Geppetto with real humanity: by turns mournful or frustrated, loving and chastising. Around them, there are the talents of actors such as Waltz, Swinton, McGregor, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, Burn Gorman and voiceover regular Tom Kenny.

    When you have Oscar winner Cate Blanchett showing up to provide guttural screeches for simian character Spazzatura, you know the phrase “embarrassment of riches” creeps into the casting discussion (and yes, Blanchett is excellent).

    But the voices would be nothing without the beautiful animation and it’s here that that the new effort truly comes alive. Like its central figure (and again, in keeping with its co-director’s sensibilities), this is an authentic, very practical and darkly hewed world, bursting with fascinating little details, such as the skeletal rabbits who guard the link between the world of the living and the dead (and amuse themselves with card games).

    Pinocchio (voiced by Gregory Mann) in Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio.'
    (Center) Pinocchio (voiced by Gregory Mann) in Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.’ Photo: Netflix © 2022.

    Every single puppet, prop, landscape, building and gesture is created with deep attention to detail, and lavish craft.

    Though the running time is a hefty one for a movie aimed at families at nearly two hours, it doesn’t waste a moment of that time. And yes, while parents might find themselves having difficult discussions with children about the subjects of death and hatred (and whether Mussolini was a poopy baby), they are themes worth exploring, and the film does so with heart and brains.

    There really is no comparison between the two ‘Pinocchio’ films––for all the Disney-friendly fun offered by the Robert Zemeckis movie, del Toro’s makes it look like a bargain bin knock-off with plastic parts. This movie, for all its grungy, darker elements, bears the seal of quality and careful carving. An artisan piece of work that skips pretentiousness and instead bristles with chaos and imagination.

    If you only watch one (of the approximately 572) adaptations of Collodi’s story, we recommend this one. Del Toro has been planning this one for nearly two decades––and it has been more than worth the wait and effort.

    ‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio’ receives 4.5 out of 5 stars.

    Director Guillermo del Toro on the set of Netflix's 'Pinocchio.'
    Director Guillermo del Toro on the set of Netflix’s ‘Pinocchio.’ Photo: Netflix © 2022.
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  • Movie Review: ‘Pinocchio’

    Cynthia Erivo as the Blue Fairy, Pinocchio (voiced by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth), and Jiminy Cricket (voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Disney's live-action 'Pinocchio.'
    (L-R): Cynthia Erivo as the Blue Fairy, Pinocchio (voiced by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth), and Jiminy Cricket (voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Disney’s live-action ‘Pinocchio,’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Premiering on Disney+ on September 8th, Disney+ Day, the studio’s new version of ‘Pinocchio’ continues its drive to make newer, live-action versions of its animated output.

    Unfortunately, in the case of ‘Pinocchio’, the result is one of the much lesser examples of that effort. And that’s even more surprising given the pedigree of people behind and in front of the camera.

    Robert Zemeckis is no slouch when it comes to movies, having made the likes of the ‘Back to the Future’ trilogy, ‘Forrest Gump’ (which won, let’s not forget, six Oscars), ‘Contact’, ‘Death Becomes Her’, ‘Flight’ and more.

    While he’s had a few misses in his time (‘Welcome to Marwen’ and his remake of ‘The Witches’ didn’t feel the critics’ love and didn’t do much for audiences either), he’s a proven talent. And his collaborations with Tom Hanks – ‘Gump’, for which Hanks was amongst the Oscar winners – and survival drama ‘Cast Away’ are still considered classics.

    Pinocchio (voiced by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth), Tom Hanks as Geppetto, and Figaro in Disney's live-action 'Pinocchio.'
    (L-R): Pinocchio (voiced by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth), Tom Hanks as Geppetto, and Figaro in Disney’s live-action ‘Pinocchio,’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    It’s even more disappointing to report, then, that ‘Pinocchio’ is such a dud that has the whiff of corporate requirement that feels less like it has fairy dust sprinkled over it and more like it was pumped out by a machine.

    There are a few tweaks here and there, but this new telling of the tale follows the basic points of the original. Widowed carver Geppetto (Hanks, slathering on prosthetics and a strange accent for the second time this year after ‘Elvis’) is still grieving the loss of his son.

    He’s become a shut-in, refusing to sell most of the items in his shop and creating a new child in the shape of a puppet he names Pinocchio because the toy has white pine wood in his head.

    And just a cricket arrives seeking shelter in the shop (the Joseph Gordon-Levitt-voiced Jiminy), a fairy arrives to grant Geppetto’s wish that the puppet lad comes to life.

    Jiminy Cricket (voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) in Disney's live-action 'Pinocchio.'
    Jiminy Cricket (voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) in Disney’s live-action ‘Pinocchio,’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    It’s here we should note that Cynthia Erivo, with her typically lyrical, powerful singing voice, is one of the few bright spots of the movie, effortlessly charming in a small role. With Jiminy assigned as the wooden boy’s conscience, the story proper can kick off, as Geppetto bonds with his new “child”, who can now talk and move without need of strings (‘The Haunting of Bly Manor’s Benjamin Evan Ainsworth provides his voice).

    Yet realizing that he’ll need to learn to socialize with other, human children, Geppetto encourages Pinocchio to attend school, which does not go well. Instead, he’s encouraged by wolfish, shady theatrical agent Honest John (Keegan Michael-Key) to pursue fame.

    From there, he’s soon part of a traveling puppet show run by the alternately enthusiastic and cruel Stromboli (Giuseppe Battiston), who takes him on tour. And he also falls afoul of The Coachman (Luke Evans, in a much less meaty role than his ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Gaston), who promises to whisk him and other kids away to Pleasure Island where the unfortunate kids indulge, only to transform into donkeys headed for the local mines.

    All this proceeds in roughly similar fashion to the animated version, but while that 1940 movie has long since entered the classic canon, this new ‘Pinocchio’ seems destined to do little than take up space on Disney’s streaming servers.

    Pinocchio (voiced by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) in Disney's live-action 'Pinocchio.'
    Pinocchio (voiced by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) in Disney’s live-action ‘Pinocchio,’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    A big issue is the CG for Pinocchio and his various friends (including Geppetto’s pet fish Cleo and kitten Figaro), which look to ape the cartoon examples, but come across as cheaper, quickly pumped out efforts that have little of the charm of the originals.

    While hewing close to the design of the 1940’s ‘Pinocchio,’ the update has wood grain and texture that you can only achieve in 3D, but he doesn’t have the same charm.

    Hanks, meanwhile, does his best to inject life into Geppetto, yet the effect is more of someone on a ‘Saturday Night Live’ skit than a solid recreation of a landmark Disney title.

    Some of the performances – Key as Honest John, for example, and the sweet-natured Fabiana (a puppeteer brought to life by newcomer Kyanne Lamaya) make an impression. Fabiana, for example, is one of the new additions, who makes a connection with Pinocchio and provides some real emotion in a movie that largely struggles to generate it.

    Pinocchio (voiced by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) in Disney's live-action 'Pinocchio,'
    Pinocchio (voiced by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) in Disney’s live-action ‘Pinocchio,’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    In terms of other additions, there is Sofia the seagull (Lorraine Bracco), who has a couple of moments with Jiminy but makes little impact.

    Possibly most disappointing of all is the finale, which goes through the sea monster motions as Geppetto looks to save Pinocchio only for the puppet boy to help him out instead, and then hand waves away his ultimate wish in a seconds-long wrap up from Jiminy. It’s more frustrating than magical, as though Zemeckis and co-writer Chris Weitz (with ‘Paddington’s Simon Farnaby also credited) couldn’t be bothered to truly finish the story.

    Many of the classic songs are present and correct (plus a couple of new tunes, one from Fabiana) and while Erivo knocks “When You Wish Upon a Star” out of the park, most of the others are unremarkable.

    There are several things you might wish upon a star to improve in this latest Disney movie, and you can see why the company chose to punt it straight to streaming (unlike, say, the Pixar productions ‘Soul‘ and ‘Turning Red,‘ which both deserved a theatrical release).

    We fear it’ll take more than one fairy’s worth of magic to turn this one from a wooden effort into a real, live movie.

    Tom Hanks and puppet
    Tom Hanks as Geppetto in ‘Pinocchio,’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    ‘Pinocchio’ receives 2 out of 5 stars.

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  • New Trailer for Disney’s ‘Pinocchio’

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    As Disney+ Day is fast approaching, the studio is making sure we all remember that one of the big launches for the day will be Robert Zemeckis’ new take on ‘Pinocchio’.

    Carlo Collodi’s tale was originally published in serial form as ‘The Story of a Puppet’ way back in July 1881. The publication stopped at Chapter 15, but popular demand meant it resumed in February 1882. Re-released in single book form in 1883, it has been hailed as one of the greatest works of Italian literature.

    It has been adapted many times for the screen – probably most famously in Disney’s own 1940 animated version, which took home Oscars for original song and score.

    Tom Hanks is once again reuniting with his ‘Cast Away’/’Forrest Gump‘/’Polar Express’ director Zemeckis for this latest blend of actors and effects. Hanks here plays Hanks’ Geppetto, the woodcarver who builds Pinocchio and treats him as if he were his own son.

    ‘The Haunting of Bly Manor’s Benjamin Evan Ainsworth will be bringing vocal life to the title character, who dreams of becoming a real boy and heads out on a quest to make that happen.

    Pinocchio (voiced by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth), Tom Hanks as Geppetto, and Figaro in Disney's live-action 'Pinocchio.'
    (L-R): Pinocchio (voiced by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth), Tom Hanks as Geppetto, and Figaro in Disney’s live-action ‘Pinocchio,’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Also either acting or providing voices here? Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Pinocchio’s guide Jiminy Cricket; Cynthia Erivo as the Blue Fairy; Keegan-Michael Key as “Honest” John; Lorraine Bracco as a new character, Sofia the Seagull; and Luke Evans as The Coachman. Some will come to the puppet lad’s aid, while others have more nefarious plans in mind.

    This new trailer gives us our clearest look yet at Pinocchio in action, and Zemeckis’ effects team has certainly hewed to the look of the character from the animated version. His quest for humanity, meanwhile promises an epic adventure of danger and wonder, all sprinkled with some usual Disney fairy dust.

    Plus, when you hire Cynthia Erivo, you have someone who can belt out a song or two and that certainly sounds like her covering classic ‘Pinocchio’ tune ‘When You Wish Upon a Star’.

    Whether this new movie can lodge itself inside the imagination of audiences the way that the cartoon example did remains to be seen; Disney’s rooting through its animated canon for movies to transform this way have been a mixed bag so far. But there’s no denying Zemeckis’ ability to make cinematic magic.

    Yet given the popularity of the puppet boy for adaptations, Zemeckis’ new version will not just be competing with its own studio history. Guillermo del Toro has a darker, stop-motion version due on Netflix this coming December. So Disney does at least have a head (or a long nose) start.

    ‘Pinocchio’ will premiere on Disney+ on September 8th, alongside a variety of other new shows and movies.

    Cynthia Erivo as the Blue Fairy, Pinocchio (voiced by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth), and Jiminy Cricket (voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Disney's live-action 'Pinocchio.'
    (L-R): Cynthia Erivo as the Blue Fairy, Pinocchio (voiced by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth), and Jiminy Cricket (voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Disney’s live-action ‘Pinocchio,’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    Pinocchio (voiced by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) in Disney's live-action 'Pinocchio,'
    Pinocchio (voiced by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) in Disney’s live-action ‘Pinocchio,’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    Jiminy Cricket (voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) in Disney's live-action 'Pinocchio.'
    Jiminy Cricket (voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) in Disney’s live-action ‘Pinocchio,’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    Jiminy Cricket (voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Pinocchio (voiced by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) in Disney's live-action 'Pinocchio,' exclusively on Disney+.
    (L-R): Jiminy Cricket (voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Pinocchio (voiced by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) in Disney’s live-action ‘Pinocchio,’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    Pinocchio (voiced by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) in Disney's live-action 'Pinocchio.'
    Pinocchio (voiced by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) in Disney’s live-action ‘Pinocchio,’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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  • ‘Pinocchio’ Trailer for Guillermo del Toro’s Animated Adventure

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    Adapting classic tale ‘Pinocchio’ has been something of a labor of love for Guillermo del Toro, the director behind such memorable fantasies as ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ and ‘The Shape of Water’.

    It has also been an effort fraught with changes and false starts, but he’s finally going to deliver in December via Netflix, which has put out a new trailer for the movie.

    Collodi’s tale was originally published in serial form as ‘The Story of a Puppet’ way back in July 1881. The publication stopped at Chapter 15, but popular demand meant it resumed in February 1882. Re-released in single book form in 1883, it has been hailed as one of the greatest works of Italian literature.

    It has been adapted many times for the screen – probably most famously in Disney’s 1940 animated version, which took home Oscars for original song and score.

    The studio has now turned it (alongside so many of its previously animated stories) into a live action/CG hybrid movie under the direction of Robert Zemeckis. That version, which boasts Tom Hanks, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Luke Evans among its cast, will be on Disney+ this coming September 8th as part of 2022’s Disney+ Day.

    ‘Pinocchio’ is releasing in theaters in November before launching on Netflix in December.
    ‘Pinocchio’ is releasing in theaters in November before launching on Netflix in December.

    As for del Toro, he’s been aiming to get his ‘Pinocchio’ made since at least 2008 and the movie has grappled through different combinations of filmmakers on its journey to the screen, struggling to find studio support for the ambitious, darkly hewed story. For this version, del Toro co-directs with Claymation veteran Mark Gustafson (who was director of animation on Wes Anderson’s ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’ in 2009) and the script is from del Toro, Patrick McHale, Gus Grimly and Matthew Robbins.

    This new trailer is narrated by Sebastian J. Cricket (voiced by Ewan McGregor), the latest incarnation of the character who usually serves as an advisor to the central character, a puppet who longs to become a real boy. In true del Toro style, here he’s not simply a funny character along for the ride – he lives in Pinocchio’s heart.

    Along with his quest to become truly real, Pinocchio has another mission – he’ll mend the heart of his creator/father figure, the woodcarver Geppetto, who is mourning the loss of his son. But it won’t be an easy task, and Pinocchio’s journey is fraught with danger. He’ll have to learn that disobedience can be as crucial to growing up and becoming who you’re meant to be as blind loyalty.

    Alongside McGregor, Gregory Mann is voicing Pinocchio, while ‘Harry Potter’ alumnus David Bradley is Geppetto. Finn Wolfhard plays Candlewick, Cate Blanchett is Sprezzatura, Christoph Waltz is the cunning Count Volpe, while John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, Burn Gorman, Tilda Swinton and Ron Perlman make up the rest of the main cast.

    Thankfully, for those who want to experience del Toro and his team’s work on the big screen, Netflix is releasing this one in theaters in November ahead of a December launch on the streaming service.

    ‘Pinocchio’ is releasing in theaters in November before launching on Netflix in December.
    ‘Pinocchio’ is releasing in theaters in November before launching on Netflix in December.
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  • New Teaser Trailer for Disney’s Live Action ‘Pinocchio’

    Pinocchio
    ‘Pinocchio’ will debut on Disney+ September 8th.

    Continuing its efforts to mine its entire animated canon to fuel new movies that blend live action with CG, Disney has been planning for a while to bring puppet picture ‘Pinocchio’ into that group.

    It presents quite the challenge: the 1940 original is a beloved example of animation that won two Oscars and introduced a batch of memorable music to the world.

    Still, ‘Forrest Gump’ and ‘Back to the Future’ director Robert Zemeckis decided to take on the task, bringing his ‘Gump’ star Tom Hanks along for the ride and co-writing the script with Simon Farnaby and Chris Weitz. As you might expect given that this hews closer to the Disney original than Carlo Collodi’s darker source material, this is the tale of a wooden puppet who embarks on a thrilling adventure to become a real boy.

    Hanks stars as Geppetto, the wood carver who builds and treats Pinocchio (voiced by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) as if he were his own son. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Jiminy Cricket, who serves as Pinocchio’s guide as well as his “conscience” while Cynthia Erivo is the Blue Fairy, who considers the wooden boy’s wish.

    One the less friendly side, we have Keegan-Michael Key as “Honest” John the fox, Lorraine Bracco as Sofia the Seagull (a new character), and Luke Evans as The Coachman.

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    Also in the cast are Kyanne Lamaya as Fabiana (and her marionette Sabina), Giuseppe Battiston as Señor Stromboli and Lewin Lloyd as Lampwick.

    Though the title is “Pinocchio”, this latest look at the movie certainly seems to be putting Hanks’ Geppetto front and center, which is perhaps not so surprising given that he’s the biggest name in the cast, and this marks his latest reunion with the director. The wooden character barely shows up here, reduced to a small moment at the end.

    ‘Pinocchio’ is a popular story of late, with at least two other versions in the works. Probably the biggest other example is Guillermo del Toro’s movie, which promises to dive more deeply into the horrific elements that make up Collodi’s moral fable. That one won’t be out until December via Netflix, but features the likes of Ewan McGregor, ‘Stranger Things’ Finn Wolfhard, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton, Burn Gorman, Christoph Waltz, John Turturro, Ron Perlman, Tim Blake Nelson, and David Bradley lending their voices.

    As for Disney’s movie, the new trailer is also the studio’s way of confirming its release date – though given the presence of Zemeckis behind the camera and Hanks in front of it, you might assume it’ll be in theaters. Instead, the studio is targeting this one for a Disney+ debut on September 8th.

    That is also this year’s Disney+ Day, when we can expect a variety of other premieres and announcements, though it’s also the day for D23 Expo: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, which happens in Anaheim and will have its own line-up of news about forthcoming Disney movies and shows.

    Pinocchio
    ‘Pinocchio’ will debut on Disney+ September 8th.
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  • Disney’s Live-Action ‘Pinocchio’ First Look Photo

    Tom Hanks and puppet
    Tom Hanks as Geppetto in ‘Pinocchio,’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Carlo Collodi’s original story ‘The Adventures of Pinocchio’ has been adapted so many times at this point that you start to wonder whether anything truly new can be brought to it. Robert Zemeckis is hoping there’s still some magic to be found via his new live action/CG movie, ‘Pinocchio,’ and the first image is now online.

    Tom Hanks is once again reuniting with his ‘Cast Away’/’Forrest Gump‘/’The Polar Express’ director Zemeckis for this latest blend of actors and effects. Hanks here plays  Geppetto, the woodcarver who builds Pinocchio and treats him as if he were his own son.

    ‘The Haunting of Bly Manor’s Benjamin Evan Ainsworth will be bringing vocal life to the title character, who dreams of becoming a real boy and heads out on a quest to make that happen.

    Also either acting or providing voices here? Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Pinocchio’s guide Jiminy Cricket; Cynthia Erivo as the Blue Fairy; Keegan-Michael Key as “Honest” John; Lorraine Bracco as a new character, Sofia the Seagull; and Luke Evans as The Coachman. Some will come to the puppet lad’s aid, while others have more nefarious plans in mind.

    Whether Zemeckis choose to lean into the darker sides of the story (animal transformations, time spent inside a whale, the main character threatened with being turned into firewood) remains to be seen.

    It’s also a slight shame to see the movie arriving on Disney+, as Zemeckis has been a reliable source of giant-screen entertainment and with the scope of a magical tale like this, it’s tempting to wonder what it would look like in huge IMAX scale.

    Robert Zemeckis Tom Hanks Academy Awards
    (L to R) Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks excepting their Oscars for ‘Forrest Gump’ at the 67th Academy Awards.

    Collodi’s tale was originally published in serial form as ‘The Story of a Puppet’ way back in July 1881. The publication stopped at Chapter 15, but popular demand meant it resumed in February 1882. Re-released in single book form in 1883, it has been hailed as one of the greatest works of Italian literature.

    And filmmakers have flocked to put their own stamp on the story, including Roberto Benigni, Steve Barron, and Matteo Garrone.

    Plus, let’s not forget probably the most famous movie version (at least in the States): Disney’s 1940 animated release, which won Oscars for its song and score. So, no pressure everyone else.

    ‘Paddington’s Simon Farnaby worked on the script alongside ‘American Pie’s Chris Weitz and Zemeckis himself, while the director’s regular musical collaborator, Alan Silvestri, is providing the music.

    Zemeckis’ take faces competition from another version, a stop-motion animated movie that Guillermo del Toro is working on for Netflix, with a December release planned. His movie has Ewan McGregor, Cate Blanchett, David Bradley, and John Turturro among its voice cast.

    Fortunately for Zemeckis, he not only has an earlier planned date (September, according to Disney), but he has the considerable resources of the house that Walt built behind him. Still… in the battle of the puppets, there are always strings attached.

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  • Tom Hanks and Robert Zemeckis Re-Teaming for ‘Here’

    Tom Hanks in 'Forrest Gump'
    Tom Hanks in ‘Forrest Gump’

    When star Tom Hanks and director Robert Zemeckis work together, the results are usually something special. They’ve collaborated on movies including ‘Forrest Gump’, ‘Cast Away’ and ‘The Polar Express’ and have another, future project to add to the list: they’ll work together on graphic novel adaptation ‘Here’.

    And to keep the ‘Forrest Gump’ team together, Oscar-winning writer Eric Roth will handle the script.

    ‘Here’, created by Richard McGuire, was published in graphic novel form in 2014, though it has its roots in a six-page comic that appeared in RAW magazine in 1989. It is set in the unadorned corner of a seemingly unremarkable house.

    Which doesn’t sound like the basis of a blockbuster, but then you have to consider that it follows the same corner between 500,957,406,073 BC and the year 2033, jumping in a non-linear way between all sorts of scenes that take place there. It’s less a traditional story, and more an art experiment that grew to encompass different characters and experiences. Some stories move forward on the page, while others, in the corners, are told backwards. Upon its release, the graphic novel was described as “”an orgy of the ordinary that is slyly clever and unexpectedly moving.”

    While that would appear to be more along the lines of Hanks’ work on the Wachowskis’ ‘Cloud Atlas’, we’ve yet to see how Zemeckis, Hanks and Roth will adapt this one into a movie. And, given the talent involved, there’s reason to think it could be something unique – with Zemeckis given free rein to indulge his love of creative visual effects.

    (L to R) Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks excepting their Oscars at the 67th Academy Awards.
    (L to R) Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks accepting their Oscars at the 67th Academy Awards.

    That said, it also sounds like a complicated sell, harder to promote than, say, the latest Marvel or DC movie, and could represent a risk to companies looking to back it.

    Yet given the presence of the three Oscar-winners, this one is naturally generating a lot of interest. According to Deadline, several studios and the big streaming services are all clamoring to pick this one up. Zemeckis and Hanks have a history with Paramount, Warner Brothers, Sony and more, and both were involved in last year’s science fiction film ‘Finch’, which was sold by Universal to Apple TV+.

    We’re still waiting to hear which of the interested parties will end up announcing that a deal is in place, but chances are it’ll happen before too long.

    ‘Here’ is not the only Zemeckis-Hanks collaboration on the way – the pair has an adaptation of ‘Pinocchio’ in post-production now and headed to Disney+ this year. That film, written by Chris Weitz and Simon Farnaby, also features Luke Evans, Keegan-Michael Key and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the cast.

    Additionally, Hanks will be back in theaters with Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Elvis’, which put out its first trailer yesterday.

    Tom Hanks in 'Cast Away'
    Tom Hanks in ‘Cast Away’

  • Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Pinocchio’ Releases First Teaser

    Photo of Guillermo del Toro courtesy of mandraketheblack.de and Netflix
    Photo of Guillermo del Toro courtesy of mandraketheblack.de and Netflix

    Guillermo del Toro is the sort of director/producer/writer who always has plenty of potential movies and TV shows bubbling away either in his head or set up at various studios. An animated adaptation of Carlo Collodi’s classic tale ‘Pinocchio’ has long been a passion project for the ‘Nightmare Alley’ filmmaker, and it is finally headed to our screens this December via Netflix, as a new teaser announces.

    The brief look at the stop-motion style of animation focuses on Sebastian J. Cricket (voiced by Ewan McGregor), the latest incarnation of the character who usually serves as an advisor to the central character, a puppet who longs to become a real boy. In true del Toro style, here he’s not simply a funny character along for the ride – he lives in Pinocchio’s heart.

    Quite what else del Toro is planning for the story remains to be seen, but Netflix’s plot synopsis is roughly in keeping with the original: “a wooden marionette is magically brought to life in order to mend the heart of a grieving woodcarver named Geppetto.”

    Alongside McGregor, Gregory Mann (who had a small role in 2018’s British movie ‘The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society’) is Pinocchio, with ‘Harry Potter’ alumnus David Bradley voicing Geppetto. Finn Wolfhard, Cate Blanchett, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, Burn Gorman, Christoph Waltz, Tilda Swinton, and Ron Perlman – the latter of whom has appeared in almost everything del Toro has ever made – are all playing various characters.

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    Most of their roles are unknown right now, though the cast list mentions Waltz playing the scheming Fox and Perlman taking on the part of Mangiafuoco, the owner of a marionette theatre who proves to be a real threat in Pinocchio’s life.

    Collodi’s story, ‘The Adventures Of Pinocchio’ was originally published in serial form in an 1880s Children’s magazine before being collected as a book in 1883. It has been adapted many times for both movies and TV, though possibly the most famous version remains Disney’s 1940 ‘Pinocchio.’ The studio is making its own new adaptation, a live-action ‘Pinocchio‘ starring Tom Hanks, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Luke Evans, and Cynthia Erivo, which is directed by Robert Zemeckis. It’s also due this year, and headed to Disney+. Looks like we have ourselves a puppet-off. Or a Pinocchio-off?

    Del Toro originally announced his stop-motion movie back in 2008 and has been through different combinations of filmmakers on its journey to the screen, struggling to find studio support for the ambitious, darkly hewed story. Currently, del Toro and Claymation veteran Mark Gustafson (who was director of animation on Wes Anderson’s ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’ in 2009) are listed as co-directors, and the script is credited to del Toro and Patrick McHale, though Gus Grimly and Matthew Robbins have both contributed through the years.

    The teaser simply lists the film as coming in December of this year – with luck, Netflix will give it a theatrical release ahead of its appearance on the streaming service. After all, don’t we want to see a fantasy film from Guillermo del Toro on a big movie screen?

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