“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” hit Netflix a few weeks back, and it has already received a few critics’ awards and nominations, though it’s a very different animated movie than we normally get over the course of a year, being a stop-motion animated film del Toro directed with Mark Gustafson, working with Portland stop-motion animation house ShadowMachine. Lisa Henson, daughter of the late great puppeteer Jim Henson, is one of the film’s producers, which gives the film even more of a pedigree within that world.
SEEOscar odds update: ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ ascends in Best Picture race
But let’s rewind a bit. Del Toro’s 2006 movie “Pan’s Labyrinth” was Oscar-nominated for Best Foreign Language Film (now known as Best International Feature), but lost to Germany’s “The Lives of Others.” Nevertheless, it was a visual masterpiece that won three Oscars for Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction,...
SEEOscar odds update: ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ ascends in Best Picture race
But let’s rewind a bit. Del Toro’s 2006 movie “Pan’s Labyrinth” was Oscar-nominated for Best Foreign Language Film (now known as Best International Feature), but lost to Germany’s “The Lives of Others.” Nevertheless, it was a visual masterpiece that won three Oscars for Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction,...
- 12/25/2022
- by Edward Douglas
- Gold Derby
.
Where do you look when trying to reinvent “Pinocchio?” How do you bring Carlo Collodi’s novel to the modern world when another, beloved animated version has existed for over 80 years? You look outside of animation, of course. For “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio,” cinematographer Frank Passingham took inspiration from live-action to give a brand new look to the the tale of a wooden boy brought to life.
“There was one film in particular I wanted my lighting camera people to watch, and that was ‘The Godfather,'” Passingham told IndieWire. “I’m a big fan of Gordon Willis because he has a very naturalistic approach that emphasizes and brings out drama.” For Passingham, Willis’ work on Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather” and its sequel became the key to subverting what audiences expect “Pinocchio” to look and feel like. Though the film still features a talking cricket, magical beings,...
Where do you look when trying to reinvent “Pinocchio?” How do you bring Carlo Collodi’s novel to the modern world when another, beloved animated version has existed for over 80 years? You look outside of animation, of course. For “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio,” cinematographer Frank Passingham took inspiration from live-action to give a brand new look to the the tale of a wooden boy brought to life.
“There was one film in particular I wanted my lighting camera people to watch, and that was ‘The Godfather,'” Passingham told IndieWire. “I’m a big fan of Gordon Willis because he has a very naturalistic approach that emphasizes and brings out drama.” For Passingham, Willis’ work on Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather” and its sequel became the key to subverting what audiences expect “Pinocchio” to look and feel like. Though the film still features a talking cricket, magical beings,...
- 12/9/2022
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Indiewire
With Guillermo del Toro‘s stop-motion “Pinocchio” becoming Netflix’s greatest hope for a Best Picture Oscar nomination (in addition to its frontrunning Best Animated Feature status) there could be a spill-over into the craft races as well. That would be a historic breakthrough for the tactile, handmade technique, which, up until now, has only garnered a Sci-Tech Oscar (for Laika’s innovative 3D character animation printing system) and nominations in visual effects (for Laika’s “Kubo and the Two Strings” and Disney’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas”) and original score (for Alexandre Desplat’s work on Wes Anderson’s “Isle of Dogs” and “Fantastic Mr. Fox”).
But the exposure from del Toro’s masterful version of Carlo Collodi’s fable — which the Oscar-winning director of “The Shape of Water” recasts as a tale of rebellion set against the backdrop of Mussolini’s Fascist Italy — could finally point the Academy...
But the exposure from del Toro’s masterful version of Carlo Collodi’s fable — which the Oscar-winning director of “The Shape of Water” recasts as a tale of rebellion set against the backdrop of Mussolini’s Fascist Italy — could finally point the Academy...
- 12/1/2022
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” reimagines the classic fantasy tale through the most beautifully-made stop-motion animation in years, a powerful and life-affirming father-and-son story about acceptance and love in the face of pain, misery, and fascism, and the filmmaker’s love of monsters in what is .
The film is set in 1930s Italy, as fascism is sweeping the nation. We see how dangerous ideologies spread quickly and quietly at first, and what starts with just the town’s blacksmith being a bit too obsessed with uniformity and order gives way to hordes of fanatics screaming for Il Duce, kids being sent to boot camps, and everyone who is different being excluded – or worse.
In the middle of all this, we meet Geppetto, a humble woodcarver once beloved by all and with a happy outlook on life. Things change when he loses his son during a senseless air raid on the...
The film is set in 1930s Italy, as fascism is sweeping the nation. We see how dangerous ideologies spread quickly and quietly at first, and what starts with just the town’s blacksmith being a bit too obsessed with uniformity and order gives way to hordes of fanatics screaming for Il Duce, kids being sent to boot camps, and everyone who is different being excluded – or worse.
In the middle of all this, we meet Geppetto, a humble woodcarver once beloved by all and with a happy outlook on life. Things change when he loses his son during a senseless air raid on the...
- 10/15/2022
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Indiewire
(Welcome to ...And More, our no-frills, zero B.S. guide to when and where you can watch upcoming movies and shows, and everything else you could possibly stand to know.)
"Pinocchio" is a beloved story about a little wooden boy who longs to become human, and we're about to be blessed with a truly imaginative take on the tale. Guillermo del Toro, the writer and director of some of the greatest cinematic fairy tales of our time, including "Pan's Labyrinth" and "The Shape of Water," is creating a stop-motion animated film about the doll that longed for a flesh and blood body. It looks absolutely incredible, featuring some of the most detailed stop-motion models I've ever seen. Del Toro's "Pinocchio" will take the story back to its roots, riffing on the 1883 novel by Carlo Collodi and subverting it to tell a more del Toro-themed tale about the dangers of fascism.
"Pinocchio" is a beloved story about a little wooden boy who longs to become human, and we're about to be blessed with a truly imaginative take on the tale. Guillermo del Toro, the writer and director of some of the greatest cinematic fairy tales of our time, including "Pan's Labyrinth" and "The Shape of Water," is creating a stop-motion animated film about the doll that longed for a flesh and blood body. It looks absolutely incredible, featuring some of the most detailed stop-motion models I've ever seen. Del Toro's "Pinocchio" will take the story back to its roots, riffing on the 1883 novel by Carlo Collodi and subverting it to tell a more del Toro-themed tale about the dangers of fascism.
- 8/30/2022
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro reinvents Carlo Collodi’s classic tale of the wooden marionette who is magically brought to life in order to mend the heart of a grieving woodcarver named Geppetto. This whimsical, stop-motion musical directed by Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson follows the mischievous and disobedient adventures of Pinocchio in his pursuit of a place in the world.
In select theaters in November and on Netflix in December, and lifelong passion project of del Toro, check out the brand new trailer.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio – (Pictured) Sebastian J. Cricket (voiced by Ewan McGregor). Cr: Netflix © 2022
Netflix announced in August of 2020 the cast of Academy Award winner Guillermo del Toro’s upcoming stop-motion animated musical feature. Newcomer Gregory Mann will star as Pinocchio with Ewan McGregor as Cricket and David Bradley as Geppetto. Other cast includes Academy Award® winner Tilda Swinton, Academy Award® winner Christoph Waltz,...
In select theaters in November and on Netflix in December, and lifelong passion project of del Toro, check out the brand new trailer.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio – (Pictured) Sebastian J. Cricket (voiced by Ewan McGregor). Cr: Netflix © 2022
Netflix announced in August of 2020 the cast of Academy Award winner Guillermo del Toro’s upcoming stop-motion animated musical feature. Newcomer Gregory Mann will star as Pinocchio with Ewan McGregor as Cricket and David Bradley as Geppetto. Other cast includes Academy Award® winner Tilda Swinton, Academy Award® winner Christoph Waltz,...
- 7/27/2022
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Once upon a time, there were two “Pinocchio” movies getting made, and the Guillermo del Toro version looked positively stunning.
On Tuesday, Netflix debuted a new teaser trailer for the Oscar winner’s upcoming stop-motion take on Carlo Collodi’s Italian folktale, co-directed with Mark Gustafson and co-written with Patrick McHale. Disney will bring a live-action remake of its well-loved 1940 classic to Disney+ on September 8, with star Tom Hanks as Geppetto and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth voicing Pinocchio.
But where that production seems to be clinging to the old (a teaser from last month revealed what very well could be another shot-for-shot remake à la the 2018 “Lion King“), “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” explicitly promises “a story you think you know, but you don’t.”
Ewan McGregor voices morally righteous insect-turned-narrator Sebastian J. Cricket, alongside newcomer Gregory Mann as Pinocchio and David Bradley as Geppetto. Rounding out the voice cast are Finn Wolfhard,...
On Tuesday, Netflix debuted a new teaser trailer for the Oscar winner’s upcoming stop-motion take on Carlo Collodi’s Italian folktale, co-directed with Mark Gustafson and co-written with Patrick McHale. Disney will bring a live-action remake of its well-loved 1940 classic to Disney+ on September 8, with star Tom Hanks as Geppetto and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth voicing Pinocchio.
But where that production seems to be clinging to the old (a teaser from last month revealed what very well could be another shot-for-shot remake à la the 2018 “Lion King“), “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” explicitly promises “a story you think you know, but you don’t.”
Ewan McGregor voices morally righteous insect-turned-narrator Sebastian J. Cricket, alongside newcomer Gregory Mann as Pinocchio and David Bradley as Geppetto. Rounding out the voice cast are Finn Wolfhard,...
- 7/27/2022
- by Alison Foreman
- Indiewire
A star-studded cast has been announced for Guillermo del Toro's stop-motion animated version of Pinocchio that includes Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Tilda Swinton, Ron Perlman, and more:
Hollywood, Calif. - August 19, 2020 - Netflix announced today the cast of Academy Award® winner Guillermo del Toro’s upcoming stop-motion animated musical feature Pinocchio. Newcomer Gregory Mann will star as Pinocchio with Ewan McGregor as Cricket and David Bradley as Geppetto. Other cast includes Academy Award® winner Tilda Swinton, Academy Award® winner Christoph Waltz, Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things), Academy Award® winner Cate Blanchett, John Turturro (The Batman), Golden Globe winner Ron Perlman (Nightmare Alley), Tim Blake Nelson (Watchmen), Burn Gorman (Enola Holmes).
Drawing on the classic Carlo Collodi tale, this stop motion musical follows the extraordinary journey of a wooden boy magically brought to life by a father’s wish. Set during the rise of Fascism in Mussolini’s Italy, del Toro's...
Hollywood, Calif. - August 19, 2020 - Netflix announced today the cast of Academy Award® winner Guillermo del Toro’s upcoming stop-motion animated musical feature Pinocchio. Newcomer Gregory Mann will star as Pinocchio with Ewan McGregor as Cricket and David Bradley as Geppetto. Other cast includes Academy Award® winner Tilda Swinton, Academy Award® winner Christoph Waltz, Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things), Academy Award® winner Cate Blanchett, John Turturro (The Batman), Golden Globe winner Ron Perlman (Nightmare Alley), Tim Blake Nelson (Watchmen), Burn Gorman (Enola Holmes).
Drawing on the classic Carlo Collodi tale, this stop motion musical follows the extraordinary journey of a wooden boy magically brought to life by a father’s wish. Set during the rise of Fascism in Mussolini’s Italy, del Toro's...
- 8/20/2020
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Oscar winner Guillermo del Toro’s stop-motion animated musical movie Pinocchio for Netflix has set its cast with newcomer Gregory Mann in the title role, Ewan McGregor as Cricket and David Bradley as Geppetto. Other cast includes Oscar winners Tilda Swinton, Christoph Waltz and Cate Blanchett; Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things); John Turturro (The Batman); Golden Globe winner Ron Perlman (Nightmare Alley); Tim Blake Nelson (Watchmen); and Burn Gorman (Enola Holmes). Based on the classic Carlo Collodi tale, the feature follows the extraordinary journey of a wooden boy magically brought to life by a father’s wish. Set during the rise of fascism in Mussolini’s Italy, del Toro’s Pinocchio is a story of love and disobedience as Pinocchio struggles to live up to his father’s expectations. “After years of pursuing this dream project, I found my perfect partner in Netflix,” said del Toro,...
- 8/19/2020
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
The Mad Magician
Blu ray
Powerhouse Films/Indicator
1954 / 1.85:1 / 73 min.
Starring Vincent Price, Donald Randolph, Eva Gabor
Cinematography by Bert Glennon
Directed by John Brahm
For Vincent Price, revenge was a dish served cold and in 3-D. In 1954, just a year after his three-dimensional rampage in Andre DeToth‘s House of Wax, the actor returned in a virtual remake – the budget was lower and the black and white imagery couldn’t hold a candle to the rich WarnerColor but John Brahm’s The Mad Magician scares up some legitimate in-your-face fun.
Price plays Don Gallico, an undervalued inventor at Illusions, Inc., a full service shop for professional prestidigitators. It’s a dead end job in more ways than one and his newest creation could give him the break he’s waited for. His biggest obstacle is his own boss, a Dickensian villain named Ross Ormond (Donald Randolph) who’s managed...
Blu ray
Powerhouse Films/Indicator
1954 / 1.85:1 / 73 min.
Starring Vincent Price, Donald Randolph, Eva Gabor
Cinematography by Bert Glennon
Directed by John Brahm
For Vincent Price, revenge was a dish served cold and in 3-D. In 1954, just a year after his three-dimensional rampage in Andre DeToth‘s House of Wax, the actor returned in a virtual remake – the budget was lower and the black and white imagery couldn’t hold a candle to the rich WarnerColor but John Brahm’s The Mad Magician scares up some legitimate in-your-face fun.
Price plays Don Gallico, an undervalued inventor at Illusions, Inc., a full service shop for professional prestidigitators. It’s a dead end job in more ways than one and his newest creation could give him the break he’s waited for. His biggest obstacle is his own boss, a Dickensian villain named Ross Ormond (Donald Randolph) who’s managed...
- 3/21/2020
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
While I think all animation is a magic trick that remains just as impressive now as the first time I saw it as a child, there are certainly levels of difficulty, and stop-motion animation is a special kind of lunacy. I’ve visited enough stop-motion sets to be awed by the skill set it requires for someone to effectively bring a character to life using such a difficult and painstaking method. It is sincerely meant then as praise when I say that I can’t imagine the single-minded pursuit of vision it took to bring Kubo and the Two Strings to life, and Travis Knight is, indeed, a madman. Travis Knight is, like Megan Ellison, a rich kid doing something profoundly interesting with the position of privilege they found themselves in. Ellison has fascinating taste as a producer, and she’s become a sort of life raft for filmmakers who...
- 8/19/2016
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
Not sure what to watch? We can help with our comprehensive guide to the best films on TV this Christmas and new year
Choose a date
Saturday 19 December | Sunday 20 December | Monday 21 December | Tuesday 22 December | Wednesday 23 December |Christmas Eve | Christmas Day | Boxing Day | Sunday 27 December | Monday 28 December | Tuesday 29 December | Wednesday 30 December | New Year's Eve | New Year's Day
Saturday 19 December
Yes Man (Peyton Reed, 2008)
10am, 8pm, Sky Movies Premiere
Remember Jim Carrey in Liar, Liar, where he forces himself to tell the truth for 24 hours? Well, here Jim Carrey forces himself to answer yes to any request, for a year. Which is upping the ante somewhat, but doesn't make it a better film. This is a return to the manic, gurning, not-very-funny Carrey, as if The Truman Show, Eternal Sunshine etc hadn't happened. Just say no.
The Golden Compass (Chris Weitz, 2007)
11.40am, 8pm, Sky Movies Family
What with Harry Potter, Narnia, Lemony Snicket and all,...
Choose a date
Saturday 19 December | Sunday 20 December | Monday 21 December | Tuesday 22 December | Wednesday 23 December |Christmas Eve | Christmas Day | Boxing Day | Sunday 27 December | Monday 28 December | Tuesday 29 December | Wednesday 30 December | New Year's Eve | New Year's Day
Saturday 19 December
Yes Man (Peyton Reed, 2008)
10am, 8pm, Sky Movies Premiere
Remember Jim Carrey in Liar, Liar, where he forces himself to tell the truth for 24 hours? Well, here Jim Carrey forces himself to answer yes to any request, for a year. Which is upping the ante somewhat, but doesn't make it a better film. This is a return to the manic, gurning, not-very-funny Carrey, as if The Truman Show, Eternal Sunshine etc hadn't happened. Just say no.
The Golden Compass (Chris Weitz, 2007)
11.40am, 8pm, Sky Movies Family
What with Harry Potter, Narnia, Lemony Snicket and all,...
- 12/18/2009
- by Paul Howlett
- The Guardian - Film News
NEW YORK -- Most movies that aren't screened for the press fall into the horror or teen comedy genres, but the Weinstein Co. has broken the mold with "Doogal", an animated children's film. Clearly hoping that their "Hoodwinked" lightning will strike twice, the distributor opened the film Friday without advance screenings. The inevitable result: seedy-looking critics, unaccompanied by children, attending afternoon screenings and inspiring suspicion among anxious parents.
Based on a British stop-motion animation TV series titled "The Magic Roundabout", this Americanized CGI adaptation is strictly for the small-fry set, lacking the visual style, wit or imagination necessary to entice adult viewers.
The film chronicles the adventures of its titular character (voiced by Daniel Tay), a shaggy-haired mutt who tries to save the world from the evil clutches of evil wizard Zeebad (Jon Stewart). He's aided in his adventures, which involve trekking across oceans, mountains, Molten Lava, etc., by a typically anthropometrical group of friends, including a guitar-playing rabbit (Jimmy Fallon), a lovestruck snail (William H. Macy), a clumsy train (Chevy Chase) and a singing cow (Whoopi Goldberg).
Also aiding in the quest is a spring-legged magician, voiced by Ian McKellen (who has some experience in these sorts of things).
Butch Hartman's American screenplay adaptation includes the usual quota of pop culture references (Blue Man Group, "CSI", etc.), but it's not surprising that neither the script nor the bland visuals exactly come up to Pixar levels. Indeed, the key frame animation, based on three-dimensional models, is rudimentary, with none of the characters proving visually arresting.
Still, children of a certain age will find it reasonably engrossing, though it should be pointed out that their biggest laughs were inspired by a flatulent moose (Kevin Smith).
No less than four Oscar nominees and winners are among the eclectic voice cast, with Judi Dench providing her elegant tones for the narration. As for Stewart, well, as "Death to Smoochy" indicated, he should keep his day job.
"Doogal" is preceded by an amusing Oscar-nominated animated short, "Gopher Broke".
Doogal
A Weinstein Co. and Pathe Pictures presentation
in association with the U.K. Film Council and Pathe Renn, Pricel, France 2 Cinema and Canal Plus A Film Action SPZ Entertainment/bolexbrothers production
Credits:
Directors: Jean Duval, Frank Passingham, Dave Borthwick
Screenwriter: Paul Bassett Davies, with additional material by Tad Safran
Co-writers: Raoff Sanoussi, Stephane Sanoussi
U.S. screenplay adaptation: Butch Hartman
U.S. executive producers: Butch Hartman, Matt Landon, Eric Robinson
Executive producers: Francois Ivernel, Cameron McCracken, Jill Sinclair, Jake Eberts
Associate producers: Claude Gorsky, Linda Marks, Bruce Higham, Andy Leighton, Vertigo Prods.
Music: Mark Thomas
Additional music: James L. Venable
Cast:
Train: Chevy Chase
Narrator: Judi Dench
Dylan: Jimmy Fallon
Ermintrude: Whoopi Goldberg
Soldier Sam: Bill Hader
Brian: William H. Macy: Zebedee: Ian McKellen
Florence: Kylie Minogue
Moose: Kevin Smith: Zeebad: Jon Stewart
MPAA rating G
Running time -- 80 minutes...
Based on a British stop-motion animation TV series titled "The Magic Roundabout", this Americanized CGI adaptation is strictly for the small-fry set, lacking the visual style, wit or imagination necessary to entice adult viewers.
The film chronicles the adventures of its titular character (voiced by Daniel Tay), a shaggy-haired mutt who tries to save the world from the evil clutches of evil wizard Zeebad (Jon Stewart). He's aided in his adventures, which involve trekking across oceans, mountains, Molten Lava, etc., by a typically anthropometrical group of friends, including a guitar-playing rabbit (Jimmy Fallon), a lovestruck snail (William H. Macy), a clumsy train (Chevy Chase) and a singing cow (Whoopi Goldberg).
Also aiding in the quest is a spring-legged magician, voiced by Ian McKellen (who has some experience in these sorts of things).
Butch Hartman's American screenplay adaptation includes the usual quota of pop culture references (Blue Man Group, "CSI", etc.), but it's not surprising that neither the script nor the bland visuals exactly come up to Pixar levels. Indeed, the key frame animation, based on three-dimensional models, is rudimentary, with none of the characters proving visually arresting.
Still, children of a certain age will find it reasonably engrossing, though it should be pointed out that their biggest laughs were inspired by a flatulent moose (Kevin Smith).
No less than four Oscar nominees and winners are among the eclectic voice cast, with Judi Dench providing her elegant tones for the narration. As for Stewart, well, as "Death to Smoochy" indicated, he should keep his day job.
"Doogal" is preceded by an amusing Oscar-nominated animated short, "Gopher Broke".
Doogal
A Weinstein Co. and Pathe Pictures presentation
in association with the U.K. Film Council and Pathe Renn, Pricel, France 2 Cinema and Canal Plus A Film Action SPZ Entertainment/bolexbrothers production
Credits:
Directors: Jean Duval, Frank Passingham, Dave Borthwick
Screenwriter: Paul Bassett Davies, with additional material by Tad Safran
Co-writers: Raoff Sanoussi, Stephane Sanoussi
U.S. screenplay adaptation: Butch Hartman
U.S. executive producers: Butch Hartman, Matt Landon, Eric Robinson
Executive producers: Francois Ivernel, Cameron McCracken, Jill Sinclair, Jake Eberts
Associate producers: Claude Gorsky, Linda Marks, Bruce Higham, Andy Leighton, Vertigo Prods.
Music: Mark Thomas
Additional music: James L. Venable
Cast:
Train: Chevy Chase
Narrator: Judi Dench
Dylan: Jimmy Fallon
Ermintrude: Whoopi Goldberg
Soldier Sam: Bill Hader
Brian: William H. Macy: Zebedee: Ian McKellen
Florence: Kylie Minogue
Moose: Kevin Smith: Zeebad: Jon Stewart
MPAA rating G
Running time -- 80 minutes...
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.