Guillermo del Toro’s animated Pinocchio will follow the original novel’s dark and political themes

Guillermo del Toro’s upcoming stop-motion animated adaptation of Pinocchio is promised to be more political and darker than previous versioon.

Only someone with a heart as big as the Grinch (after it grew) and a mind occupied by depressing monsters could have “Pinocchio” on their “to-make” bucket list. Del Toro’s passion project of adapting the traumatizing children’s novel into a film has been in development for over a decade, and if it’ll be anything like the director’s previous films, it’ll be a breathtaking masterpiece.

Published in 1883, “The Adventures of Pinocchio” by Carlo Lorenzini, also known as Carlo Collodi, tells a story that parallels the human condition as a wooden puppet aspires to be a real boy and pretty much goes through hell for it. It’s the most translated non-religious book in the world and has inspired hundreds of stage plays, merchandising, TV series and movies over the years.

Most only know the version told by Disney but the original “Pinocchio”, and the ultimate original before Collodi toned it down for children, was immensely dark. Trim away the backstory and subplots and “Pinocchio” reflects growing pains (and is a lesson against unruly children). His journey to become a real boy is filled with hard life lessons everyone is faced with as they grow up; morality, life and death, and consequences. In the original, Pinocchio actually kills Jiminy Cricket and gets his feet burned off as a karma punishment.

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Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation will seemingly reinstate the horror that previous versions removed, along with the political allegories. Carlo Collodi used children’s literature to share his own Freemason beliefs of free will and self-reliance, so “The Adventures of Pinocchio” is actually a very political story.

The year the book was published, 1883, was a time of political turmoil in Italy. The mass emigration known as the Italian Diaspora was a decade in, industrialization ruined the economy, diseases were spreading, and the formerly unified Italian states became a constitutional monarchy. This is where Collodi sets his story.

Del Toro, who isn’t shy about putting political and religious allegory’s in his films, confirmed that his adaptation will closely follow Collodi’s novel and original setting. He explained that it won’t be overtly political but based on the setting, it’ll occur naturally.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter earlier this week, he explained the nature of the film and why it won’t be something for all families to see.

"“It’s not a Pinocchio for all the family,” del Toro told the site. “Of course [it’s a political film]. Pinocchio during the rise of Mussolini, do the math. A puppet during the rise of fascism. 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.”"

"“The film will be set in Italy during the 1930s, a particularly fraught historical moment and a time when Fascism was on the rise and Benito Mussolini was consolidating control of the country.”"

He cited the use of politics in other famous fairy-tales, claiming one can not exist without the other.

"“There’s no fable without politics,” he said. “Rarely can you get in productive discussions in real life right now, it’s so tense,” he said. “It’s much easier for you to listen to me if I tell you ‘Once upon a time… .'”"

During this interview Del Toro mentioned the crisis occurring at the U.S.-Mexican border and showed his remorse for the families who can’t enter the country. The images taken at the border “break my heart” he said. As a native-born Mexican, the immigration war going on at the border strikes a personal cord with him and he called the current divisive politics “the oldest political trick in the book.”

Expect to see a similar theme in the upcoming Pinocchio movie, because like the families emigrating from Mexico, the 1930s involved a massive wave of Italians fleeing Italy when Fascism was on the rise.

Del Toro co-wrote the script with Patrick McHale and he will co-direct with unknown director Mark Gustafson. The film will be a stop-motion musical animation based on Gris Grimly‘s designs.

Produced by the Jim Henson Company and Netflix, it’ll be released on the streaming service in 2021.