Netflix‘s global fan event Tudum was graced by Guillermo del Toro ahead of the release of his highly-anticipated adaptation of the classic tale Pinocchio. The acclaimed director filmed a behind-the-scenes video for the occasion that showcased the stop-motion work behind his passion project with a stunning look at the scenes and figures built specifically for the film.

The video opens up with del Toro welcoming us into his world as scenes from the film play out in a time-lapse that shows everything the crew did to create each individual scene. The fluid, lively motion of the characters in each shot is painstakingly puppeteered by crew members who are also left to set up the surrounding environment in order to land the perfect feel in each moment. According to del Toro, the goal was to combine modern stop-motion techniques with the artisanal, almost rough-around-the-edges style of handmade figures to capture the human touch present on set and emphasize the practical over the digital.

In the second half of the video, the director gives viewers a sense of scale for the models used in the film. To show the range of sizes that they work with, he stands next to a giant Pinocchio head while holding a tiny model of the puppet in between his fingers. He explains how each puppet has its use, from capturing close-up shots with Pinocchio and Sebastian J. Cricket together to larger-scale shots meant to dwarf Pinocchio. To close it out, del Toro reaffirms his love for the classic tale of Pinocchio while a few more gorgeous, handcrafted shots of the film are on display as one final highlight of the dedication poured into the film.

For those who weren’t satisfied with Disney‘s live-action Pinocchio remake earlier this year from Robert Zemeckis, del Toro‘s adaptation looks to scratch an entirely different itch. Since the original 2D Pinocchio was already somewhat frightening, the Academy Award-winning The Shape of Water director chose to infuse the whimsical tale with a bit more realistic and unsettling elements. An interview with Ron Perlman last year revealed that del Toro intentionally set the film in Mussolini’s fascist Italy, adding a layer of history to the story. Combined with the less-cartoony designs for its characters, del Toro‘s adaptation is shaping up to be a little darker than its predecessors.

In order to bring his magical new film to life, del Toro brought in an A-list cast to portray the classic characters with Gregory Mann leading the group as Pinocchio and Ewan McGregor voicing Sebastian J. Cricket. Perlman, David Bradley, Finn Wolfhard, Tilda Swinton, Cate Blanchett, John Turturro, and Christoph Waltz are also featured in the film. Mark Gustafson joined del Toro as a director while Patrick McHale helped write the film.

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio will premiere at this year’s BFI London Film Festival which runs from October 5 through 15. Following that, it’ll enjoy a limited run in theaters starting on November 25 before arriving at Netflix in time for the holidays on December 9. Check out the behind-the-scenes footage and stay tuned here at Collider for more coverage of Tudum.

via Collider