Dec 8, 2022

Guillermo del Toro, Director of "Pinocchio," on the Boundaries North American Animation Should Push (video interview)

Netflix's most ambitious animated feature of the year and perhaps ever, Guillermo del Toro's "Pinocchio," will be released simultaneously worldwide on the streaming platform tomorrow.

Cartoon Brew's exclusive online event partner, INBTWN Animation, interviewed del Toro about the masterful work done by the film's crew, including co-director Mark Gustafson, and about how North American animation is often lacking in adult themes that are often lacking, and about the benefits of insubordination.

Much has been made of the fact that this version of Pinocchio, unlike most animated adaptations of Carlo Collodi's classic tale, is not explicitly a children's film. Del Toro's version touches on themes of loyalty, disobedience, paternity, fascism, and death. Del Toro says that North American animation needs more of these themes.

"If you like children's entertainment, that's a different idea," he argues.

"Pushing animation into a realm where we can at least discuss these things is something we have to do. The same thing is happening in other countries and with other artists. When you look at Miyazaki films, you look at 'Red Turtle,' you look at René Laloux, you look at a lot of European and Japanese animation that has a lot of depth and interest for adults, you want to push North American animation in that direction." [His thrilling "Tales of Arcadia" universe calls Netflix home, and this year Netflix just released Guillermo del Toro's "Cabinet of Curiosities."

In our conversation, the filmmaker explains why Netflix was the perfect partner for his latest animated film. Our experience with Netflix from "Trollhunters" and "Tales of Arcadia" has been great. Our experience with Netflix from "Trollhunters" and "Tales of Arcadia" has been fantastic.

So when it came time to find a producer for "Pinocchio," he decided to pitch Netflix first. And "Ted Sarandos said yes on the spot."

Another advantage of sticking with Netflix, according to del Toro, is that the film will be streamed just before the winter holiday period, so families can "watch it over and over again during the holidays.

Del Toro spent years developing "Pinocchio," during which time he always knew exactly how he wanted the film to be made.

"We were always absolutely, 100% sure that we were going to do it in stop motion. Because I started doing stop motion and clay animation as a kid. I'm a proponent of stop motion, an absolute maniac." And I thought it was a perfect match for the story to have puppets living in a world of puppets that act and obey, where the puppets that are thought to be abnormal are actually disobedient puppets. It is something that has a will of its own."

With his version of Pinocchio set to be made in stop motion, del Toro has enlisted Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and Will Vinton Studios veteran Mark Gustafson ("PJs" director, "Fantastic Mr. Fox" animation director) as one of the best artists the medium has to offer.

Del Toro recalls that he "grew up watching and copying" the work of Vinton and his artists. For a commercial I did in Mexico, I tried to do the clay morphing that Will Vinton did in Closed Monday."

Watch the full video above to learn more about the diversity of the film's character designs, the influence of history on the set, and how it is possible to make a stop-motion film with remote work.