Two different Pinocchio films came out in 2022. Disney’s Pinocchio is Robert Zemeckis’s live-action and CGI retelling of Disney’s 1940 animated film, with Tom Hanks as Geppetto, released on Disney+ on September 8, 2022. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is a stop-motion film co-directed by del Toro and Mark Gustafson, released on Netflix on December 9, 2022. They are separate adaptations of Carlo Collodi’s story, not sequels to each other.
The quick identification key
The fastest check is the director and the actor who plays Geppetto. The diagram below sets them side by side, and the credits sections that follow give the details.
Disney’s 2022 Pinocchio: credits and approach
Disney’s Disney+ listing and press kit describe a live-action and CGI retelling directed by Zemeckis. Tom Hanks plays Geppetto, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth is Pinocchio and Joseph Gordon-Levitt is Jiminy Cricket. The listing gives a running time of 1 hour 54 minutes.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio: credits and approach
Netflix’s announcement lists del Toro and Gustafson as directors, del Toro and Patrick McHale as writers. A Netflix behind-the-scenes article gives the December 9 release date.
How each film is made
In Disney’s version, live-action filming is combined with computer-generated imagery, the approach Disney’s own materials name. In del Toro’s stop-motion version, physical puppets are central and are photographed one frame at a time, though that does not mean every effect in the film is physical. Digital characters are still a form of animation; the difference is what the performance is built from.
A Netflix behind-the-scenes article gives one concrete example of what working with physical puppets involves: del Toro is shown beside an oversized Pinocchio head, built so that a cricket on Pinocchio’s shoulder would appear at the right scale.
Different routes back to the same book
A Disney production page describes the 2022 film as a live-action musical adaptation of Disney’s 1940 animated film, written by Zemeckis and Chris Weitz, which is itself based on Collodi’s 1883 book. Disney’s page for the 1940 film dates its release to February 23, 1940.
Netflix calls del Toro’s film a reinvention of Collodi’s tale itself.
Setting and premise (setup spoilers)
Netflix’s announcement centres del Toro’s version on a grieving woodcarver.
The following detail comes from Netflix’s trailer article and reveals more of the setup. Netflix’s Tudum trailer article sets the story in Italy during Benito Mussolini’s rule and says this Pinocchio is carved from a tree that grew over the grave of Geppetto’s son. In that article, del Toro describes Pinocchio’s disobedience as his virtue.
The casts side by side
- Disney’s supporting cast includes Cynthia Erivo as the Blue Fairy, Keegan-Michael Key as “Honest” John, Luke Evans as the Coachman and Giuseppe Battiston as Stromboli.
- Netflix’s voice cast includes Gregory Mann as Pinocchio and Ewan McGregor as the cricket.
Choosing which one to watch
- You want a retelling close to Disney’s 1940 film: the Zemeckis version follows that route.
- You are interested in stop-motion and a darker, historical setting: del Toro and Gustafson’s film.
- You are choosing for a child: check the rating and content notes for that specific film where you live; neither the studio nor the method tells you which is gentler.
Availability changes by country and over time, so check your own service rather than assuming a film is still on its original platform.
Final version check
- Title alone is not enough: other Pinocchio adaptations also exist, so confirm the director and cast rather than relying on the title and year.
- Not either 2022 film: Disney’s animated Pinocchio from 1940.
For another example of why credits matter, see who actually directed Coraline.
Official Disney and Netflix information checked October 26, 2026. This is an identification guide, not a review; neither film is ranked. Images are AI-generated editorial concepts or original diagrams, not stills from either film.