Gris Grimly, Mark Gustafson and Guillermo del Toro Ready to Bring Pinocchio to Life

Steve Barton |

Feb 17, 2011

Around these parts we’ve been singing the praises of artist Gris Grimly for several years now. Simply put, the man has a very distinct and eye-catching style all of his own. It’s nice to see the rest of the world catching up!

According to Deadline Guillermo del Toro, The Jim Henson Company and Pathe are ready to go on Pinocchio, a 3D stop-motion animated adaptation of the Carlo Collodi fairy tale that will be edgier than the 1940 animated Disney classic. Gris Grimly will co-direct with Mark Gustafson, and production will begin later this year. Grimly illustrated a 2002 book of Collodi’s tale that formed the basis for a project that is years in the making.

This version is aimed at an audience 10 years and up. Australian rock musician and film composer Nick Cave has signed on to be music consultant, and the puppets and 3D elements will be developed with MacKinnon and Saunders, the UK-based facility that worked on The Fantastic Mr. Fox, Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride and the upcoming Frankenweenie.

Del Toro supplied the accompanying photos to convey the feel of a film that shares a core theme from the Disney film: the innocent whose inherent goodness, purity and love for his father saves him from a series of harrowing adventures and temptations in his quest to morph from wooden puppet to real boy.

More soon!