Good news, Guillermo del Toro fans. The visionary director of such films as Pan’s Labyrinth and The Shape of Water is finally heading to a very fitting medium: animation (directing animation at least, not just producing). For some time now, del Toro has made his intentions clear to do a Pinocchio film of some sort. When last we heard — which was over a year ago — that project had been put on ice.

Now it looks like it’s thawing, as Netflix has officially given the greenlight for him to go forward with a stop-motion-animated take on the beloved story. While Pinocchio may share the same DNA as the Disney animated film, don’t expect this to resemble it in any way, shape, or form, as this film will be set in the 1930s, during the rise of Benito Mussolini and fascism in Italy.

“No art form has influenced my life and my work more than animation and no single character in history has had as deep of a personal connection to me as Pinocchio,” said del Toro in a statement. “In our story, Pinocchio is an innocent soul with an uncaring father who gets lost in a world he cannot comprehend. He embarks on an extraordinary journey that leaves him with a deep understanding of his father and the real world. I’ve wanted to make this movie for as long as I can remember.”

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Though while this movie looks to be set against a heavy backdrop, it does still seem to be aimed at a fittingly young audience, which is nice to hear.

“Throughout his distinguished career, Guillermo has exhibited mastery in inspiring people through his magical worlds filled with unforgettable and magnificent characters, from the monsters in Pan’s Labyrinth to the aquatic beast in The Shape of Water,” Melissa Cobb, VP of kids and family at Netflix, said in a statement. “We are incredibly excited to expand our relationship with Guillermo and we know that his deeply touching vision for bringing Pinocchio to life on Netflix will be embraced by audiences the world over.”

But del Toro won’t be directing this thing alone. Co-directing with him will be Mark Gustafson, who usually works as an animation director on such films as Fantastic Mr. Fox, but has at in the director’s chair for such shows as (wait for it) The PJs — remember that one? Co-writing the script with him is Over the Garden Wall and Adventure Time writer Patrick McHale.

Do you think this is a good fit for Guillermo del Toro? Let us know down below!

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SOURCE: Variety