The Manchester puppet masters who made the stars of Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

A low-key British animation studio created the models for Guillermo del Toro's acclaimed Pinocchio.

   Guillermo del Toro is a Mexican filmmaker and animator known for his distinctive visual style and his work on films such as "Pan's Labyrinth" and "The Shape of Water". In 2018, it was announced that del Toro would be directing a stop-motion animated film adaptation of "Pinocchio", the classic Italian children's story

The stop-motion animation for the film is being produced by the British animation studio, Mackinnon & Saunders, which is based in Manchester. Mackinnon & Saunders is a leading puppet-making and animation studio that has worked on a number of high-profile productions, including "Corpse Bride", "Fantastic Mr. Fox", and "Postman Pat: The Movie

The studio was founded in 1997 by two former employees of Cosgrove Hall, a well-known Manchester-based animation studio that produced a number of popular children's TV shows in the 1980s and 1990s. Mackinnon & Saunders has since established a reputation as a leading studio for stop-motion animation and puppet-making, and has worked with a number of high-profile clients, including Disney, Aardman Animations, and DreamWorks. 

 For the "Pinocchio" film, Mackinnon & Saunders has been responsible for creating the puppet characters and building the sets and props. The studio's work on the film has been praised for its attention to detail and its ability to bring the characters to life in a unique and engaging way.