Guillermo del Toro’s went to "every studio in Hollywood" trying to pitch his idea for a ‘Pinocchio’ movie.
The 54-year-old filmmaker is helming the stop-motion musical project for Netflix, but has admitted it wasn’t his original intention to pair up with the streaming giant, as he had already been turned away from the major Hollywood studios before settling with Netflix.
He said: "I went to every studio in Hollywood and they all said no, so whoever says yes, I will make it with that person."
Guillermo had a hard time selling his remake of the Italian children’s novel ‘The Adventures of Pinocchio’ – which was transformed into a classic Disney animated movie in 1940 – because the project is set to be a dark political parable set "during the rise of Mussolini".
He added: "It’s not a Pinocchio for all the family. Of course [it is political]. ‘Pinocchio’ during the rise of Mussolini, do the math. A puppet during the rise of fascism, yes, it is [political]."
But the iconic helmer insists it isn’t strange to have the classic tale drenched in politics, because other fables including ‘Cinderella’ and ‘Snow White’ also include messages about gender and class struggles.
He said: "There’s no fable without politics. Rarely can you get in productive discussions in real life right now it’s so tense. It’s much easier for you to listen to me if I tell you ‘Once upon a time …’"
Guillermo even compared the titular puppet-come-to-life to Frankenstein’s monster.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at the Marrakech Film Festival, he said: "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 director will be in direct competition with Disney over the movie, as the studio are planning to give their ‘Pinocchio’ movie the live-action treatment, with Tom Hanks in talks to play woodworker – and Pinocchio’s father – Geppetto.
Guillermo del Toro: Every studio turned down Pinocchio movie
