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Pinocchio is a classic childhood story for many. Originally in written form, The Adventures of Pinocchio is an 1883 Italian novel by Carlo Collodi. Since its publication, the story has been adapted into many forms for stage and screen, most notably, Disney’s iconic 1940 animated musical version.

Guillermo Del Toro, whose films are known for fusing elements of horror with fairy tales, announced in 2008 that he had a “darker” adaptation of Pinocchio in development. He called it his passion project, stating “no single character in history has had as deep of a personal connection to me as Pinocchio,” and that he’s wanted to make this movie for as long as he can remember.

Pinocchio will be Del Toro’s feature directorial debut in animation, joining his 11 other feature films like Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth, Crimson Peak, and Nightmare Alley. He released several pieces of character concept art in February 2012 with the designs for Pinocchio, Geppetto, The Talking Cricket, Mangiafuoco (the puppet master), and the Fox and the Cat.

This movie is not to be confused with the Disney live-action remake, starring Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as the titular character, along with Tom Hanks, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Cynthia Erivo. That adaptation will be released on Disney+ on September 8th, 2022.

Del Toro’s adaptation was originally supposed to be released in 2013 or 2014, but the project was delayed. In 2017, it was announced that Patrick McHale (Adventure Time) would be co-writing the screenplay with Del Toro. Because Del Toro insisted the movie had to be stop-motion, it drove the budget costs up, making it harder to attract studios to finance production.

In 2018, Netflix gave Guillermo Del Toro the green light when they acquired production rights. This article will tell you all the newest details about the cast, trailer, development, and release dates.

Editor's Note: This article was last updated on November 13 with the latest trailer and release date.

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Image via Vanity Fair/Netflix

Related:Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Pinnochio’ Opens the Door on a Haunting New Poster

What’s Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio About?

Set in the 1930s in Fascist Italy, a wooden marionette puppet comes to life and dreams about becoming a real boy. His father, a poor woodcarver named Geppetto, sees Pinocchio as a replacement for his own young son, who passed away. Pinocchio is mischievous and disobedient, which gets him into trouble as he explores his world.

This adaptation has been described as a dark and twisted retelling of the story, so it’s hard to tell how much of a departure from the novel or Disney version it will have without seeing it for ourselves. The cast section below should give you more of an idea of what to expect, as the characters from the novel are not always portrayed the same way in the Disney version.

Is There A Trailer for Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio?

Yes! Netflix released the official teaser on July 27. The trailer introduces us to Gepetto, Pinocchio, and several of the other characters that Pinocchio meets during his adventures. Since then, we've also seen a behind-the-scenes video with the director, and a full-length trailer. Check out the trailer below:

Who’s In The Cast of Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio?

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Image via Netflix

There’s no shortage of star power in this stacked cast. Gregory Mann, who is best known for his role as Young Eli in the 2018 film The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, will be voicing Pinocchio. This will be his third feature film.

David Bradley will voice Geppetto. Bradley is best known for his role as Argus Filch in the Harry Potter films, as well as the lecherous Lord Walder Frey in HBO’s hit series, Game of Thrones.

Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi) will take on the role of Sebastian J. Cricket. His character will be much different from Disney’s Jiminy Cricket, as he was never “assigned” by the Blue Fairy to be Pinnochio’s external “conscience” in the novel. This character is often referred to as “The Talking Cricket.”

The sly anthropomorphic fox from the Disney version is based on the character that Christoph Waltz will voice; Count Volpe. “Volpe” is Italian for “fox,” and this character has never been a positive influence on the young and impressionable Pinocchio. Waltz is known for his villainous roles, such as Col. Hans Landa in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds.

Tilda Swinton (Suspiria) will play the role of the Fairy with Turquoise Hair. Her character in the novel is once again different from Disney’s Blue Fairy. Instead of being the one to grant Geppetto’s wish and promising to make Pinocchio a real boy if he behaves himself, the Fairy with Turquoise hair shows up from time to time during Pinocchio’s adventures to admonish him for misbehaving.

Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard will play the role of Candlewick. His character was named “Lampwick” in the Disney version, but the two characters are similar nonetheless as they both are considered troublemakers that befriend Pinocchio and lead him into treacherous situations.

Ron Perlman, who has collaborated with Guillermo Del Toro in multiple films like Hellboy, will voice the Podestà. This is a character that is not mentioned in either the novel or the Disney adaptation. The name itself is more of a title than a name, as “Podestà” was the term used during Fascist Italy to describe the head of the municipal administration.

Cate Blanchett will also be introducing a new character in this film, Sprezzatura the Monkey. There are no references to this character in the novel or the Disney Adaptation, although there are multiple animal characters in the novel.

Also included in the cast list are Tim Blake Nelson (The Ballad of Buster Scruggs), John Turturro (Severance), and Burn Gorman (Enola Holmes). As of now, their roles and character names are unspecified still.

Daniel Radcliffe (The Lost City), Tom Waits (Seven Psychopaths), and Christopher Walken (Severance) were also considered for roles but ultimately were not selected. Radcliffe stayed on with the project as an executive producer instead.

Related:Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Pinocchio’ Maquettes Reveal the Haunting Stop-Motion Character Design

When Does Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio Come Out?

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Image via Netflix

Pinocchio received a limited theatrical release on November 9 this year, with the Netflix premiere following in December. The Netflix release is currently set for December 9, 2022. Ahead of the release, the film had its premiere at the BFI London Film Festival in October and was also screened at the AFI Fest in early November.

After all the production and development ups and downs since 2008, Pinocchio is finally ready to be seen by audiences. The release is now just a little while away but if you’re the impatient type, you can make a wish upon a star to speed up time. It probably won't work, but who knows?