Over Hollywood’s long history, we have been blessed with the work of a number of incredibly talented directors who have helped define the entertainment industry as we know it. Chiefly among those is Guillermo del Toro, a man with roots south of the border which he has utilized to develop a uniquely inventive way of storytelling. His work on films such as the Hellboy franchise and Pacific Rim have earned him critical acclaim far and wide and he continues to be one of Hollywood’s hardest working men, most recently writing the screenplay for 2021’s Nightmare Alley. Now we have our first look at his next project with Netflix unveiling the trailer this past week for his adaptation of the children’s story Pinocchio, and it certainly looks intriguing to say the least.
Based upon a 19th century story which Disney first adapted into an animated film back in 1940, Pinocchio tells the story of a figurine carved out of wood who suddenly springs to life in hopes of achieving his dream to become a real boy. His most unique trait though is what made his story so unique: every time he would tell a lie his nose would grow, proving to be both a hurdle and a valuable asset for the character by the story’s end as he completes his character arc. While Disney’s 1940 adaptation of the story is considered to be one of their most memorable works of all time, it looks like it’s about time to put a new spin on the story of Pinocchio, and del Toro is the man leading the charge. In the brief trailer unveiled by Netflix, reposted below, viewers are introduced to a character by the name of Sebastian J. Cricket who serves as the narrator of our story, an insect who claims to have lived “in the heart of the wooden boy” and will seemingly guide viewers throughout the iconic story from a uniquely new perspective that is del Toro’s. Definitely a far cry from the classic Disney film, however Netflix’s latest adaptation of Pinocchio certainly looks interesting and subscribers can catch the project later this year when it hits the streaming service.
We have seen the reintroduction of a wide array of intellectual property in Hollywood for a number of years now, making Netflix’s adaptation of Pinocchio no surprise. It will certainly be interesting to see how del Toro treats the project, with over eighty years elapsed and many technological advancements made since the original. Netflix subscribers will just have to remain patient until Netflix adaptation of Pinocchio debuts, which is expected to be in December.
