Guillermo del Toro on Exploring Catholicism and Disobedience in ‘Pinocchio’: ‘I Wanted to Make the Reverse of What You Normally See

Guillermo del Toro had a “very firm view” on his portrayal of “Pinocchio.”

“I am a lapsed Catholic — there’s a lot of Catholicism. I knew I wanted to make it about fathers and sons, which is a theme I repeat over and over in my filmography,” del Toro told Variety on Saturday night at the red carpet premiere of “Pinocchio” at AFI Fest. “I wanted to make it staggeringly beautiful, and I wanted to make it the reverse of what you normally see of Pinocchio in film.”

Set in 1930s fascist Italy, del Toro’s “Pinocchio” tells a darker version of the classic children’s fairytale about a wooden puppet who magically comes to life.

“Normally, ‘Pinocchio’ is about being a good boy and obeying, and doing what you’re told,” the director-writer explained. “This is about disobedience, and how disobedience is necessary to be an individual — and how that is necessary to be a real person.”

Added co-director Mark Gustafson, “Everybody learns from Pinocchio, as opposed to Pinocchio getting lessons from everyone else.”

On working with del Toro, Christoph Waltz — who voices Count Volpe — told reporters that “Guillermo is probably the loveliest, the nicest, the sweetest and one of the most particular and persnickety” directors.

“At the beginning, when I was 9 years old, I didn’t really know who he was apart from ‘The Book of Life,’” said Gregory Mann, who voices the title role. “So when all the adults in my life told me [about del Toro], I knew I was working with one of the greats.”

Asked which creature or fantasy character del Toro should bring to life next, Gustafson and Georgina Hayns, director of character animation, said Frankenstein’s monster. “It’s definitely the next one,” Hayns added.

While del Toro said “it’s cosmically better not to say,” he told Variety: “The two characters that best represent me in fiction are Pinocchio and the creature of Frankenstein.”

Del Toro’s “Pinocchio” premieres in select theaters Nov. 11, and is available to stream on Netflix Dec. 9.

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