Guillermo del Toro to direct Pinocchio for Netflix

Director Guillermo del Toro is to make a Pinocchio film for Netflix.

The streaming service announced on Twitter that Del Toro would pen, produce and direct the stop motion musical about a puppet who wants to be a real boy.

The award-winning director said he had wanted to make the film “for as long as I can remember”.

The project marks Del Toro’s animated feature film directing debut and will also be his first feature film since The Shape Of Water, which garnered four Academy Awards last year, including for best director and best picture.

He said: “No art form has influenced my life and my work more than animation and no single character in history has had as deep of a personal connection to me as Pinocchio.

“In our story, Pinocchio is an innocent soul with an uncaring father who gets lost in a world he cannot comprehend.

“He embarks on an extraordinary journey that leaves him with a deep understanding of his father and the real world.

“I’ve wanted to make this movie for as long as I can remember.”

The director said he was grateful to Netflix for “giving me the opportunity of a lifetime to introduce audiences everywhere to my version of this strange puppet-turned-real-boy”.

Melissa Cobb, vice president of kids and family at Netflix, said: “Throughout his distinguished career, Guillermo has exhibited mastery in inspiring people through his magical worlds filled with unforgettable and magnificent characters, from the monsters in Pan’s Labyrinth to the aquatic creature in The Shape Of Water.

“We are incredibly excited to expand our relationship with Guillermo and we know that his deeply touching vision for bringing Pinocchio to life on Netflix will be embraced by audiences the world over.”