Guillermo del Toro Directing ‘Pinocchio’ Movie for Netflix

Netflix is bringing puppets to life and Academy Award winning director Guillermo del Toro is at the helm.

Variety reports that Netflix has given del Toro the green light to write, direct, and produce a stop-motion Pinocchio movie for the streaming service, continuing the partnership between with the two parties. The film will take place in Italy in the 1930s and production is set to begin in the fall.

Patrick McHale (Over the Garden Wall) will co-write the movie alongside del Toro, and Mark Gustafson (Fantastic Mr. Fox) will co-direct. The puppets for the stop-motion flick will be built by Mackinnon and Saunders, the team who behind Corpse Bride.

“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,” said del Toro in a statement. “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.”

Del Toro has worked with Netflix on his Tales of Arcadia animated trilogy. The first series of the franchise, Trollhunters, just concluded its three season run earlier this year, while the second installment, 3Below, will launch in December. The filmmaker has also created a horror anthology series for the streaming service, Guillermo del Toro Presents 10 After Midnight.

“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 beast in The Shape of Water,” said Melissa Cobb, vice president of Kids and Family at Netflix, in a statement. “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.”

Are you excited for del Toro’s take on the classic Pinocchio story? Let us know in the comments!