Guillermo del Toro may very well be the most busy person in Hollywood.  He’s attached to produce/write/direct/develop a multitude of projects, so when it was announced that del Toro would be producing a 3D stop-motion animated iteration of Pinocchio, the news came with the assumption that del Toro wouldn’t have a ton of time to be super hands-on with the project.  All that changed last month when it was announced that, after spending more and more time with the project, del Toro has decided to co-direct with Mark Gustafson.  Though we got our first look at some artwork from the unsurprisingly dark tale last February, some new artwork from Pinocchio has surfaced and it’s unsurprisingly gorgeous.

The image comes from EW, who notes that del Toro doesn’t plan on shooting Pinocchio until 2013 even though he recently stated he’d like to release the film in 2014.  Given that he’s currently busy with post-production on Pacific Rim and pre-production on Beauty and the Beast with Emma Watson, the 2013 start-date makes sense.  Though it appears we have quite a while to wait until we see the finished film, hit the jump to marvel at some of the enticing artwork as well as the previously released images.

It seems like director Guillermo del Toro adds another project to his “to-do” list every month, but welcome news came last week when it was announced that del Toro is planning to co-direct his first stop-motion animated feature.  The filmmaker is spearheading an adaptation of Pinocchio alongside co-director Mark Gustafson, based off of author Gris Grimly’s dark interpretation of the story that takes place in Italy between World War I and World War II.  Though the year-long filming process on the 3D feature doesn’t begin until next summer, del Toro recently revealed a few names that may or may not end up as part of the voice cast.  Hit the jump for more.

In February 2011, we reported that Guillermo Del Toro was developing a 3D stop-motion animated adaptation of Pinocchio with author Gris Grimly and Mark Gustafson co-directing based off Grimly’s 2002 book.  Today, Variety reports that Del Toro has now stepped in to co-direct with Gustafson (there’s no mention of Grimly).  Del Toro is currently in post-production on the blockbuster monster movie Pacific Rim, which is due out July 12, 2013.  He and Gustafson (animation director for Fantastic Mr. Fox) plan to start a year-long shoot for Pinocchio in summer 2013.  Del Toro wrote the script with Grimly and Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark co-writer Matthew Robbins.

Hit the jump for more.

Laika Studios, the stop-motion animation company behind the charming Coraline and this year’s promising ParaNorman, have decided on their next project.  Per Variety, the studio will next adapt Philip Reeve’s book Goblins, with Mark Gustafson onboard to direct.  Gustafson previously served as animation director on Fantastic Mr. Fox and was recently hired to direct Guillermo del Toro’s stop-motion take on Pinocchio.  The story of Goblins centers on a clever young goblin who lives among his slightly less-mannered bretheren.  “Only he understands that an ancient evil is rising that will bring all manner of monsters and mythical creatures into an epic magical conflict.”

I really enjoyed Coraline and ParaNorman is one of my most anticipated releases of the year, so the fantastical world of Goblins sounds like a perfect fit for Laika.  The studio’s CEO Travis Knight noted that the material will make “a strange, stirring, and altogether beautiful film.”  Count me in.  Hit the jump to read a synopsis of the book.

Guillermo del Toro, The Jim Henson Company, and Pathe are set to produce a 3D stop-motion animated adaptation of Pinocchio.  Deadline reports that Gris Grimly and Mark Gustafson (animation director for Fantastic Mr. Fox) will direct the new version which will be “edgier” than the 1940 Disney adaptation. Grimly illustrated a 2002 book based on the character that will serve as the basis for the project.  Del Toro and collaborator Matthew Robbins (Mimic, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark) crafted the story with Robbins penning the script.

Hit the jump for more exciting details on this project, including the participation of writer/composer Nick Cave (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford).