Guillermo del Toro’s stop-motion animated rendition of “Pinocchio” is finally streaming on Netflix. The touching Italian folk tale takes on a new form under the direction of the Academy Award-winning filmmaker, who co-wrote and co-directed the movie. The almost two-hour film features features a number of familiar voices bringing these puppets to life, while del Toro’s screenplay puts a new spin on some iconic characters.
At the heart of the story is Gepetto, mourning father, the pine puppet Pinocchio he creates to replace his son Carlo and Sebastian J. Cricket, as well as a mystical blue fairy and a cunning carnival leader.
Here’s a complete cast and character guide for “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.”
Pinocchio and Carlo (Gregory Mann)
A puppet made of pine wood, Pinocchio is a jubilant and naive little boy. Carpenter and wood carver Gepetto, fashions the marionette doll out of pine from the tree that sprouts at his late son Carlo’s grave.
Gregory Mann has previously appeared as Young Eli in “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” (2018) as well as William Monmouth in the TV show “Victoria.” Mann also voices Carlo in “Pinocchio.”
Gepetto (David Bradley)
Griveing father Gepetto’s son Carlo was tragically taken from him at too young an age. Known for his intricate woodwork and carving, Gepetto serves as the town carpenter of his small Italian village, fashioning functional items to decorative ones like a wooden crucifix of Jesus Christ for his local church.
David Bradley is most well-known for portraying Argus Filch in the “Harry Potter” film franchise. He also appeared as Walder Frey in HBO’s adaptation series of George R. R. Martin’s “Game of Thrones.” More recent roles of his include Lord Gideon Sidebottom in “Catherine Called Birdy” (2022) and Jack in “Your Christmas or Mine?” (2022).
Sebastian J. Cricket (Ewan McGregor)
Mr. Cricket intends to settle down in a cozy nook to finally write his debut novel, full of his own life stories, but the universe seems to have other plans for him, for when he discovers a hollow in the pine tree that grew from Carlo’s pinecone, he settles in shortly before a drunken Gepetto chops the tree down in a desperate attempt to bring his dead son back. Sebastian then becomes Pinocchio’s moral compass, or conscience, as assigned by the Wood Sprite (Tilda Swinton).
Ewan McGregor is known for portraying Christian in “Moulin Rouge!” (2001), Renton in “Trainspotting” (1996) and Dan Torrance in “Doctor Sleep” (2019), among many, many others. Most recently he reprised the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi in the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” Disney+ series.
Wood Sprite (Tilda Swinton)
Coalescing from individual little eye-ball like spirits, the Wood Sprite decides to literally animate Pinocchio, turning him into more than just a stiff puppet. She has heard the grief-stricken Gepetto’s cries for help and his desperate wish for his son to return from the dead. She asks Sebastian J. Cricket to guide Pinocchio from right and wrong since he already lived in the boy’s heart, even when he was still in pine tree form.
Tilda Swinton is most well-known for portraying the White Witch in the “Narnia” films, Karen Crowder in “Michael Clayton” (2007), Dr. Klemperer in “Suspiria” (2018) and The Ancient One in “Doctor Strange” as well as other MCU films. More recently, she has starred as Rosaline in “The Souvenir” (2019), J.K.L. Berensen in “The French Dispatch” (2020), Julie and Rosalind Hart in “The Eternal Daughter” (2022) and Alithea in “Three Thousand Years of Longing” (2022).
Swinton won an Oscar for her role in “Michael Clayton.”
Count Volpe (Christoph Waltz)
Count Volpe is a crafty carnival leader who lures Pinocchio into performing for his traveling spectacle. The French ring leader oblicates the wooden puppet child to sign a legal contract to perform a certain number of hours for pay. Pinocchio takes this option as an alternative to becoming a soldier for Fascist Italy.
Christoph Waltz is known for playing Col. Hans Landa in “Inglourious Basterds” (2009), Alan Cowan in “Carnage” (2011), Dr. King Schultz in “Django Unchained” (2012) and Qohen Leth in “The Zero Theorem” (2013). He won Oscars for “Inglourious Basterds” and “Django Unchained.”
Spazzatura (Cate Blanchett)
Cate Blanchett voices Count Volpe’s monkey companion Spazzatura. Spazzatura is the one who puts Pinocchio on Volpe’s radar, and the character animates the puppets surrounding Pinocchio, though jealosy gets real pretty quickly for Spazzatura when Pinoccio becomes Volpe’s star.
Blanchett has two Oscar-winning roles for “Blue Jasmine” (2013) and “The Aviator” (2004). More recently she has starred in “Ocean’s 8” (2018), “Nightmare Alley” (2021) “Don’t Look Up” (2021) and more including voicing The Storian in “The School for Good and Evil” (2022). Her performance in “Tár” may garner another Best Actress Oscar nomination.
Podestà (Ron Perlman)
Podestà’s role mirrors that of a police officer, but he also controls the political mood of the town. In between The Great War and the buildup to World War II, the rise of Benito Mussolini brought Fascism to Italy, and Podestà makes quite a few remarks about “the model Italian soldier” that allude to fascism.
Perlman is most well-known for starring in del Toro’s “Hellboy” (2004), “Hellboy II: The Golden Army,” “Hand of God” and more recently his appearances in “Nightmare Alley” (2021) and “Don’t Look Up” (2021).
Candlewick (Finn Wolfhard)
The son of Podestà, Candlewick grews suspicious of Pinocchio just like his father does when the wooden puppet becomes unruly at Catholic mass. Podestà brags about how his son exemplifies a model fascist youth in Italy, but Candlewick eventually befriends Pinocchio.
Finn Wolfhard broke into many hearts and minds with his portrayal of Mike Wheeler in Netflix’s tentpole series “Stranger Things” starting in 2016. Since then he has also appeared in “It” (2017), “It Chapter Two” (2019), “The Goldfinch” (2019) and “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” (2022).
The Priest (Burn Gorman)
The Priest commissions the wooden crucifix Gepetto fashions for the village Church. He takes pity on Gepetto at first when he loses Carlo, but once The Priest sees Pinocchio, he too wonders what type of devil’s work the puppet contains. The Priest and Podestà often confer about the well-being of their citizens.
Burn Gorman is known for roles in “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Pacific Rim: Uprising,” “The Expanse” and more. He appeared as an antagonist Linthorn in Netflix’s “Enola Holmes” (2020), Charles Bluhdorn in Paramount’s “The Offer” and will soon appear in the upcoming film adaptation “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” (2023).
Dottore (John Turturro)
The Dottore serves the town as your normal physician would. He examines Pinocchio after he first “dies” when Podestà and his wife accidentally run the wooden puppet over in their car. John Turturro has most recently starred in Apple TV+’s “Severance,” which has been renewed for a second season. Turturro is also known for “Barton Fink” (1991), “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” (2000), “The Good Shepherd” (2006) and “Fading Gioglio” (2013).
Black Rabbits (Tim Blake Nelson)
Tim Nelson voices The Black Rabbits who accompany lost souls into Death’s chamber, most of the time bearing their funeral coffins. After they finish their duties, they play competitive card games while Death deals with her clients. Tim Blake Nelson has recently voiced the villainous clown Zozo in Netflix’s “Lost Ollie” (2022). He is also known for “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” (2000), “The Incredible Hulk” (2008), “Leaves of Grass” (2009) and “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” (2018).
