Guillermo del Toro on whether his Pinocchio is for kids

Last Updated on December 13, 2022

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio just hit Netflix and all of us here at JoBlo are huge fans of the director’s darker take on the beloved classic (read our review). However, those of you reading this that have kids may be wondering if its an appropriate movie to watch with younger viewers. It turns out, that very question was on del Toro’s mind when we spoke to him earlier this week at a special event for Pinocchio in New York.

The maestro himself, who, it should be said, is one of the nicest guys working in movies, dismissed the idea that animation is inherently a medium for kids: “Some of the great works of art, in my opinion, come from animation. And it’s a medium, not a genre. And it’s a thing that needs and demands the respect to participate in the conversation in its rightful place. When I think of things like The Red Turtle, when I think of Hayao Miyazaki, when I think of René Laloux in France, and the Brothers Quay, this is an art form, and I think we wanted to push it towards a movie that discusses really affecting and profound things for us.You know? Life, death, paternity, disobedience, freedom, you know. And when I pitched it in every studio, they would say is it for kids? And I said no, but kids can watch it if their parents talk to them. If you want a babysitter movie, that’s a different type of movie…“

He also bristled at the notion that kids can’t handle darker material and need to be coddled: “We live in a moment in which children know there is a civil war happening in the world. They know the doomsday clock is closer than ever. They know that there is oppression, fascism, suppression of this and that. I mean, the kids live in an incredibly scary world. Why not have the conversations, you know?“

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is now streaming. Check it out – it’s one of the very best movies of the year.