Guillermo del Toro's New 'Pinocchio' Film for Netflix Gives Jump Start to Mexico's Animation Studio

Mexican director Guillermo del Toro will produce, write, and direct a new stop-motion animated film based on the 1883 Italian novel "The Adventures of Pinocchio" for Netflix.

According to Mexico News Daily, the upcoming "Pinocchio" movie was partially done at the Centro Internacional de Animación (CIA) or International Animation Center in Guadalajara, Jalisco in Mexico.

Guillermo del Toro, a Guadalajara native, founded the CIA, the first stop motion production studio in Latin America.

Rita Basulto, a renowned animator in Mexico, told the news agency EFE that the CIA's work on "Pinocchio" showed what the Mexican studio is capable of.

"Making scenes for this feature film shows that work of a very high level can be done here," Basulto said.

CIA director Angélica Lares told EFE that Guillermo del Toro decided that part of the film would be made in Guadalajara.

Lares noted that the Mexican director was also "attentive" to what they were doing in the film. She said they are constantly talking about "what's coming up."

Lares further noted that the CIA had an "unbeatable" beginning, given that it had the opportunity to work on Netflix's Pinocchio shortly after it opened. She added the studio would continue seeking to collaborate on more international projects.

Guillermo del Toro's 'Pinocchio' to be Released on Netflix

Guillermo del Toro revealed in December that his dark fantasy stop-motion musical adaptation of "Pinocchio" will debut on Netflix this year.

The famed director did not reveal the exact date. However, Del Toro told Collider that "Pinocchio" would be available to Netflix sometime in the fourth quarter of this year.

"The movie [Pinocchio] will come out last quarter of 2022," Del Toro said, adding that the release would mark five years since the debut of "The Shape of Water," his acclaimed fantasy romance movie.

The film was initially scheduled to be released last year. But, according to What's on Netflix, a delayed production schedule due to COVID-19 could be the issue.

The outlet further noted that stop motion filmmaking is a time-consuming process.

Guillermo del Toro's 'Pinocchio'

According to reports, Del Torro's Pinocchio will take a darker approach to the classic Italian tale by Carlo Collodi.

The film secured a star-studded ensemble in 2020, including Gregory Mann, Ewan McGregor, Tilda Swinton, Cate Blanchett, and Ron Perlman.

In 2015, Guillermo del Toro shared that they are bringing back some fairytale charms on the book and tackling the politics during the era when the book was written.

The Mexican director also said that "Pinocchio" was a "very personal" movie for him. He noted that he cries every time he watches the film.

"The idea of a Pinocchio that talks about things that I consider very deep, but it's fun and it's a musical at the same time, I find it really incredibly moving," Del Toro revealed.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Joshua Summers

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