Del Toro turns Pinocchio into stop-motion musical

Netflix announced Monday the director of “The Shape of Water” has found a home for his lifelong passion project on the streaming platform. “Pinnochio” also marks the animated feature directorial debut for Del Toro, who has served as an executive producer on DreamWorks Animation films including “Puss in Boots,” “Kung Fu Panda 3” and “Rise of the Guardians” and as a producer on “The Book of Life.” The reimagining of the classic tale will be set in Italy during the 1930s, a period that also saw the rise of fascism in Italy under Benito Mussolini. Production is expected to begin this fall. The new adaptation expands Netflix’s existing relationship with Del Toro, who created the Emmywinning television series “DreamWorks’ Trollhunters.” The next instalment of the DreamWorks’ Tales of Arcadia trilogy, titled “3Below,” is set to debut on Dec. 21, followed by “Wizards” in 2019. He is also the creator of the upcoming Netflix series “Guillermo del Toro Presents 10 After Midnight.” Del Toro — who also helmed “Pan’s Labyrinth,” “Hellboy,” “Hellboy II” and “The Devil’s Backbone” — will write the script with Patrick McHale and direct with Mark Gustafson. He will also produce with the Jim Henson Co. and ShadowMachine, which will house the stop-motion animation production. The film’s puppets will be built by Mackinnon and Saunders and take inspiration from Gris Grimly’s original 2002 illustrations for the Pinocchio character.