Famed director Guillermo del Toro’s 14-year long project, Pinocchio, has finally debuted at this year’s BFI London Festival, a day after his mother’s death.
Toro spoke about him and the story just before the premier, saying: “I saw the film as a kid and it’s a film that bonded me with my mom for an entire life. It affected me because Pinocchio saw the world the way I saw it. I was a little bit enraged that people demand obedience from Pinocchio so I wanted to make a film about disobedience as a virtue, and to say that you shouldn’t change to be loved.”
He also made sure to reinforce him, and his production team’s, love for the world of animation during this speech.
“Everybody who is here believes that animation is not a genre. That animation is art. Animation is film… I just want to say, my mother just passed away, and this was very special for her and me. This is not only the first time you’ll see the movie, it’s the first time she’ll see the movie with us. Thank you.”
The movie took 1000 days of production to make, with both Toro and his co-director Mark Gustafson working on it the entire time. The film efforts were clearly worthwhile, as it received consistent emotional praise from the audience during its screening.
Gregory Mann, the film’s lead actor, was able to watch the premier on his 13th birthday, both being on the same day. The audience in turn gave him a loud birthday chant, and he described it as “the best day of his life.”
The puppet model of Pinocchio used in the film was also rolled across the red carpet on a pedestal, while photographers were able to crouch down and get media pictures of the character.
The project underwent major developmental issues during its production until it was purchased by Netflix, allowing Toro to complete it without any major issue. It takes place during WW2 Italy, under the Mussolini government, and is a play on the original story from 1883. The movie boasts a big-name cast, with the likes of Ewan McGregor and John Turturro acting in it.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, its official name, will be premiering at the AFE festival in America in November, and will hit Netflix on December 9.
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