Artist Lolou Almeyda brings Guillermo del Toro's distinct Pinocchio and Blue Fairy to life in a magical cosplay through intricate bodypaint work.
The characters of Guillermo del Toro's award-winning stop-motion Pinocchio are brought to life again by Loulou Almeyda's intricately detailed bodypaint cosplays of the titular puppet and the Blue Fairy. Del Toro's passion project is a dark retelling of Carlo Collodi's The Adventures of Pinocchio, following the tale of a young puppet given life. Gregory Mann and Tilda Swinton provided the voices for Pinocchio and the Wood Sprite, del Toro's reimagining of the character known as the Blue Fairy in many other adaptations.
In a post uploaded to her Instagram, artist Almeyda shared a photo featuring her incredible cosplays of both Pinocchio and the Wood Sprite, alongside a quote taken from one of the two character's exchanges in the film. Check it out below:
Almeyda has utilized detailed body painting patterns inspired by the designs of the puppets from Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio alongside additional headpieces and prosthetics to recreate the two characters. The artist has also included a fun nod to the film's award season success in the form of a small Oscar Pinocchio is holding, representing Pinocchio's Academy Award for Best Animated Feature victory.
How del Toro's Distinct Pinocchio Designs Added A New Layer To A Classic Tale
After an extensive period of development hell, del Toro's vision for Pinocchio was finally completed and released in the fall of 2022 on Netflix. The director, who created features such as Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth, Pacific Rim, and The Shape of Water, was inspired by the illustrations that Gris Grimly provided for a 2002 printing of Collodi's original story, stating that the artwork reflected his vision on the classic tale. As such, not only did the artwork inspire del Toro's design, but helped inform character backstory changes for his Pinocchio film.
While del Toro's designs may stray from the typical visuals associated with Pinocchio, the director's innovation for his characters is still some of the most heartfelt representations of the story put to screen. Similar to del Toro's previous work in The Shape of Water, he challenges perceptions of what defines humanity through the titular puppet's hasty, wooden design by a grieving, drunken Gepetto (voiced by David Bradley). While Pinocchio is more outwardly puppet-like in del Toro's vision, he nevertheless is human through his connections and emotions, as emphasized by how Pinocchio isn't turned human in the film's conclusion.
With del Toro's more personal twist to the classic story, Pinocchio stood apart as one of the most beloved retellings. With distinct designs and detailed animation blended with del Toro's familiar stylistic choices, the film quickly became a highly acclaimed imagination of the well-known tale. Hence, Almeyda's meticulous and beautiful cosplay faithfully recreates del Toro's magnificent piece, focusing on the film's central characters.
Source: Loulou Almeyda/Instagram
