Analysis: Disney And Netflix Prepare Rival Versions Of 'Pinocchio'

Later this year, movie lovers will have a choice between two feature-length versions of “Pinocchio”:

• A live-action/computer-animated musical from the Walt Disney Co. DIS directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks as Geppetto and Cynthia Erivo as the Blue Fairy
• And a stop-motion animated musical from Netflix NFLX directed by Guillermo del Toro and featuring voice performances by Ewan McGregor, Christoph Waltz, Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton.

Why are there two different versions of “Pinocchio” coming out this year? Well, it’s a bit complicated.

Anyone Can Play: For starters, the source material, Carlo Collodi’s 1883 book “The Adventures of Pinocchio,” is in the public domain, so anyone can make a film version of the story.

Admittedly, it's unusual for two rival film production companies to put out a film based on the same source material at the same time. But on rare occasions, that has happened: 1951 saw Walt Disney and British filmmaker Dallas Bower battling for American audiences with dueling versions of “Alice in Wonderland,” while two biopics on actress Jean Harlow were released in 1965 and two different versions of “A Doll’s House” were released in 1973.

“Pinocchio” is also one of the most familiar children’s stories of all time and has been adapted into scores of films, television productions, theatrical presentations and parodies — and there was even a notorious pornographic version that was promoted with the tag line “It’s not his nose that grows!”

The earliest film version of the story was a live-action version made in 1911, but only a fragment of that work survives. The first feature film adaptation of “Pinocchio” was planned by Italian filmmakers Raoul Verdini and Umberto Spano in 1936, but the film was abandoned when its costs mounted; none of the completed footage is known to survive. The 1940 Disney animated version, which is arguably the most famous adaptation, took tremendous liberties in transitioning Collodi’s grim novel into a family-friendly feature, but audiences did not miss the darker aspects of the source material.

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The New Disney Version: Disney first announced a remake of its classic film in 2015, but the studio had trouble securing a director — Sam Mendes and Paul King were attached at different points before withdrawing — and production didn’t begin until March 2021 under the direction of Zemeckis.

This version of “Pinocchio” might be the safer of the two new offerings, following the spirit and most of the storyline of the original version. Some new songs will be mixed in with the classic original score and a new character called Sofia the Seagull brings a feminine persona to the 1940 film's all-male adventure.

To date, the studio has not released any footage from this work. A teaser trailer that went online in late 2020 simply announced the film’s presence without a hint of detail.

The New Netflix Version: This adaptation was first announced in 2008, but the production was repeatedly stalled over the years until Netflix agreed to pick up the project in 2018.

Del Toro is updating the Collodi tale from the late 19th century to Mussolini-era Italy. The director is clearly following the example set by Pier Paolo Pasolini when he adapted the Marquis de Sade’s 18th century “The 120 Days of Sodom” into the fascist period with “Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom.” While it's safe to assume del Toro will not emulate Pasolini’s extremes, the change of setting promises might give the film an added sociopolitical dimension not found in either Collodi or Disney.

But that is speculative, as very few details about the story have been shared. It might be safe to assume this will not be too emotionally dark — Netflix is positioning “Pinocchio” on its website as a children’s film and the first trailer to appear online suggests something family friendly.

That trailer features insect sidekick/conscience, now called Sebastian J. Cricket — the cricket was nameless in the Collodi book and Disney christened the character Jiminy Cricket for its film. The Netflix cricket, voiced by Ewan McGregor, gives the impression of being sagacious, even hinting that he “lived in the heart of the wooden boy” — and this is a departure from Collodi’s book, where Pinocchio becomes irritated with the cricket and kills it with a mallet.

Passing Judgment: Disney announced its “Pinocchio” is being released in the fall, but did not give a specific date. The company shared the release update via Disney+’s social media pages, which means the film is bypassing theaters and going straight to streaming — although it's possible it could get a brief Los Angeles theatrical run to secure Academy Award qualifications.

Or, the company could change its mind and put “Pinocchio” in a full theatrical release over the Thanksgiving holiday, when the company traditionally presents an animated feature.

Netflix is aiming for a December 2022 release for its “Pinocchio,” and while the company has not stated if this will follow the Netflix route of a limited theatrical release followed by a streaming premiere or if it will be a streaming-only endeavor. Considering its year-end premiere, one could easily assume this will be in theaters for the holiday season.

But if you’re impatient for another “Pinocchio,” perhaps the wonderfully off-kilter “Fractured Fairytales” version can offer a happy distraction?

Photo: The 1940 "Pinocchio," courtesy of Disney.