Los Angeles (AP) — An Oscar wish has come true for ‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio’.
The director’s stop-motion, musical take on the puppet who longs to be a real boy won Netflix’s first animated film trophy on Sunday.
The category has mostly gone to a Walt Disney or Pixar-produced film over the past decade, with the exception of “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”.
“Animation is ready to move to the next step. We are all ready. Please help us keep animation in the conversation,” Del Toro said.
“Pinocchio” was considered the contender to beat. It garnered several awards, including the Golden Globe and top honors at the animation industry’s Annie Awards.
The voice cast includes Ewan McGregor, Christoph Waltz, fellow Oscar nominee Cate Blanchett, and Tilda Swinton.
It received critical acclaim for a stunningly beautiful production that takes a dark look at issues of love and mortality between the titular puppet and surrogate father, Gepetto. This ‘Pinocchio’, a polar opposite of Disney’s 1940 version, alludes to Catholicism, fascism and the ugliness of war.
“It’s so good to know that this art form we love so much – stop motion – is alive and well,” said co-director Mark Gustafson.
Mexican-born del Toro, who won the 2018 Oscar for Best Director for “The Shape of Water,” has said that animation is pure cinema. genre.
The film beat ‘Turning Red’, ‘Marcel the Shell with Shoes On’, ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ and ‘The Sea Beast’.
