Guillermo Del Torro’s ‘Pinocchio’ Is Not Family-Friendly

There are two movies currently in the works based on the classic fairy tale character Pinocchio. One is a live-action remake from Disney based on the studio’s beloved animated film from 1940 that can be enjoyed by the whole family. The other will be a political parable written, directed, and produced by Guillermo del Toro — the mastermind behind horror-fantasy flicks such as Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth, Pacific Rim, and The Shape of Water — that is definitely not intended for children.

“It’s not a Pinocchio for all the family,” the eccentric filmmaker told the Hollywood Reporter during an interview at the Marrakech Film Festival, which runs through December 8.

The dark film, which will be shot as a stop-motion animation, is set in 1930s Italy during the rise of Mussolini and fascism. Del Toro likened his Pinocchio to Frankenstein’s monster.

“He’s a creature that is created through unnatural means from a father that he then distances [himself] from, and has to learn about failure and pain and loneliness,” he explained.

The movie will also deal with “othering,” which the Hollywood Reporter described as “the practice of blaming structural problems on a marginalized group.” Del Toro previously explored this concept in The Shape of Water, which won Academy Awards earlier this year for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Score, and Best Production Design.

“Hatred is an incredibly useful tool to dominate, and if you know a little bit of history you see it used effectively every century,” he stated.

The 54-year-old visionary said that he tried to sell Pinocchio to film studios for a decade before Netflix bought the rights. The streaming service is also home to his two kid-friendly animated television series: Trollhunters, which has been on for three seasons, and 3Below: Tales of Arcadia, which will premiere on December 21.

No word yet as to who will voice the various characters in Pinocchio or when it will make its debut.

Del Toro’s next silver screen feature is Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. The movie is about “a group of teens who must solve the mystery surrounding a wave of spectacularly horrific deaths in their small town,” according to Variety. It is slated to come out in the fall of 2019.

Meanwhile, as previously reported by the Inquisitr, actor Tom Hanks is said to be in talks to play toymaker Geppetto in Disney’s live-action Pinocchio. Director and cowriter by Paul King is hoping to start shooting the movie in May.