Guillermo del Toro

He and co-director Mark Gustafson took the Carlo Collodi creation Pinocchio but made a version unrecognizable compared to the 1940 Disney classic. In the stop- ...

“I was going to shoot a movie called Omnivore before I did Cronos, and we created all the puppets and sets we needed. That is one of the earlier images I had, going in. I thought, Gepetto is drunk because he is in grief. I asked him, why does it look like that and he said, because he has the nails and the wood. Carlo Collodi had the faint echo of Jesus in Pinocchio, and I thought, this is a great opportunity to use the nails, and the wood to make him a messiah that resurrects. I thought, why is he drunk?

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with award-winning director, Guillermo del Toro, about his new stop-motion animated film Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio.

So, you know, I have learned that not making the movie for the right reason is almost as satisfying as making it for the right reasons. DEL TORO: You know, I have learned in 30 years of filmmaking that the natural state of a movie is to not get made. MARTIN: You just mentioned something that I had forgotten about is what a long journey it was for you to get this film made. And I do believe that if you hold steady to who you are and you follow the things you have learned through experience and spirit and listening and watching with love, you are rewarded by being a real boy, as the fable would have it, a real person, a real human being. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. And I believe that the only lie Pinocchio should never embrace is to lie about who you are. And in this one, you know, Pinocchio doesn't transform, and it's Geppetto that learns to be a real father. MARTIN: I mean, the film is lovely and funny, but there are points in it that are so deeply sad. In the traditional story, "Pinocchio" learns to be a real boy and transforms. There is Disney's "Pinocchio," which is a masterpiece that reflects the time it was made in. It is a movie that really talks about disobedience as a virtue, disobedience with a conscience as a virtue, and the fact that you can actually be loved the way you are. And all he really wants is to be a real boy and to make his father proud.

The director's stop-motion movie Pinocchio, now on Netflix, is the consummation of a lifelong love of animation. But his first attempt to make an animated ...

And you have to explain the emotional state of the puppet, and the physical state of the puppet, and where you are in the story. “The first idea I had when I was a kid was to do it in stop-motion, because I thought that way, the humans and [Pinocchio] exist in the same world,” he says. It never happens when you want it, but it happens when it has to happen.” The end result is “a massive operation that ends up covering a thousand days of shoot,” but the buildup is slow. While he was shooting Nightmare Alley, del Toro could start and end the day with detailed instructions for the creation of just a handful of frames of animation, which he found focused and refreshed him. “The thing to understand is, you don’t start with all the units on animation. And one night, we went to dinner and to a movie. Once finally underway, the film took almost a full three years to make: Production started in early 2020, simultaneously with del Toro’s previous movie, the noir drama I taught stop-motion, and I was preparing a stop-motion movie before Cronos.” “If you know Pacific Rim, you’ve seen 45 minutes of animation directed by me,” he points out. I started the stop-motion movement in my city. “I started on animation,” del Toro tells Polygon.

The music industry has seen a plethora of talented women rise to prominence, with many artists establishing powerful legacies. But what sets Taylor Swift ...

And her interest in fable and myth and the origins of fairy tale is quite deep. I gave her a few books that I thought would be interesting for her—among them, very importantly, a book that was useful for me in creating Pan’s Labyrinth called The Science of Fairy Tales, which codifies and talks about fairy tale lore.” But what sets Taylor Swift apart from the others is her natural talent for storytelling, not only through her songwriting but also in the way she directs some of her music videos, including "The Man," "All Too Well," and "Anti-Hero," to mention a few.

Guillermo del Toro praised Taylor Swift as a director and said he's met with her. The Midnights singer previously said she'd trade places with him for a day ...

In an interview with [The Hollywood ](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/the-hollywood-reporters-2022-women-in-entertainment-power-100/pamela-abdy/) [Reporter](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/the-hollywood-reporters-2022-women-in-entertainment-power-100/pamela-abdy/), Swift chose [Pinocchio](https://www.vulture.com/2022/11/pinocchio-guillermo-del-toro-trailer-release-date.html) director [Guillermo del Toro](https://www.vulture.com/2022/11/guillermo-del-toro-stop-motion-at-the-mountains-of-madness.html) as the person in Hollywood who she would want to trade places with for a day. [Cats](https://www.vulture.com/2020/01/cats-box-office-flop-is-it-the-next-rocky-horror.html) cat [Taylor Swift ](http://www.vulture.com/2022/11/taylor-swift-anti-hero-acoustic-spotify.html)has something to say. And her interest in fable and myth and the origins of fairy tale is quite deep.” We’re sure all the [Speak Now](https://www.vulture.com/2017/11/revisiting-taylor-swifts-album-speak-now.html) fans out there are nodding vigorously. “She’s a very accomplished director, she’s incredibly articulate and deep about what she’s trying to do—and what she will do.” Hmm, sounds like he knew before the rest of us that Swift is writing and directing her own [feature-length movie](https://www.vulture.com/2022/12/taylor-swift-announces-movie-director-screenwriter.html) for Searchlight Pictures. Russell ](https://www.vulture.com/2022/10/david-o-russell-abuse-assault-allegations-timeline.html)and Tom Hooper, del Toro was the filmmaker that she chose for her Freaky Friday scenario. The [Midnights](https://www.vulture.com/2022/10/taylor-swifts-midnights-number-1-billboard-charts.html?utm_source=tw&utm_medium=s1&utm_campaign=vulture) singer made her directorial debut earlier this year with her “All Too Well” [short film](https://www.vulture.com/2021/11/dylan-obrien-sadie-sink-star-in-all-too-well-short-film.html), which is now up for an Academy Award Although she’s worked with several Oscar-winning directors, including [David O. “I can only imagine that a day in his mind would be fascinating,” she mused, which is pretty darn high praise from someone who has sung about having the mind of a [“Mastermind.”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmz1lz0zcLQ) [W magazine](https://www.wmagazine.com/culture/guillermo-del-toro-taylor-swift-moma-film-benefit-chanel-interview/amp) asked Guillermo del Toro if he had seen Taylor Swift’s compliment-filled quote about wanting to trade places with him for a day. “And yet, it feels like he’s still so curious and enthusiastic about his work.” Swifties would probably argue that she already knows what that’s like because of her music career, but they might be a little [preoccupied with Ticketmaster](https://www.vulture.com/2022/12/everything-we-know-about-the-swiftie-ticketmaster-lawsuit.html) at the moment. He said he gave her several books, including The Science of Fairy Tales, which he used to create his 2008 movie Pan’s Labryinth. “I have the greatest admiration for her; we had one of the most stimulating and gratifying conversations,” he said. According to del Toro, he and Swift have actually met up to talk about visual arts before.

On Friday, it was announced that Taylor Swift is set to direct her first feature-length film with a project for Searchlight Pictures.

"I started to venture into the edit [for music videos] and making changes and meddling… Other people do that who went to school to do that," Swift began before the other director explained he never went to school for film. "I was always curious," the star continued. "I had this imposter syndrome in my head saying, 'No, you don't do that. I gave her a few books that I thought would be interesting for her—among them, very importantly, a book that was useful for me in creating Pan's Labyrinth called The Science of Fairy Tales, which codifies and talks about fairy tale lore." "I don't see it being bigger, in terms of scale.

Del Toro added that the duo have many “common interests,” including fairy tales. “Her interest in fable and myth and the origins of fairy tale is quite deep,” ...

“Imagine having that imagination, that visual vocabulary and that astonishing body of work,” she said of the Shape of Water filmmaker. “I gave her a few books that I thought would be interesting for her—among them, very importantly, a book that was useful for me in creating Pan’s Labyrinth called The Science of Fairy Tales, which codifies and talks about fairy tale lore.” Del Toro added that the duo have many “common interests,” including fairy tales.