Some time ago it was reported that Guillermo Del Toro would be overseeing a new version of PINOCCHIO through collaboration with The Jim Henson Company and Pathe. Previously Gris Grimly was announced as the director alongside Mark Gustafson. Now it seems that Del Toro is taking this project more personally by stepping in to co-direct with Gustafson.

This will be Del Toro’s first stop motion animated film if you don’t include the impressive prologue from HELLBOY 2: THE GOLDEN ARMY. Gustafson previously worked on Wes Anderson’s FANTASTIC MR FOX and is a producer on the upcoming RISE OF THE GUARDIANS where Del Toro is also a creative consultant. The new spin on the wooden puppet will be set between World War 1 and World War 2 and finds Pinocchio embroiled in a whole host of adventures in his quest to become a real boy. The screenplay is credited to Grimly, Del Toro and Matthew Robbins.

The 1940 Disney animated version of PINOCCHIO was apparently a huge influence on Del Toro when he was a sprog and it’s kind of a passion project for him, but he said that before about AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS which this week has been declared officially dead by the filmmaker after seeing footage of the apparently similar PROMETHEUS.

Production will begin on the film after PACIFIC RIM comes out and if that hits big like predicted then expect a few more of his dream projects to gather momentum.

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