Puppets from Pinocchio by Guillermo del Toro are seen on the red carpet upon arrival at the BAFTA British Academy Film Awards at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, in London, on February 19, 2023. (Photo: AFP)

"Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio," a strikingly dark take on the beloved children's book about an exuberant living puppet and his elderly wood-carver father, won best animated feature at the Academy Awards on Sunday.

In an Oscars category usually dominated by lighter, family-friendly fare, Mexican director del Toro triumphed with his macabre reimagining of Pinocchio's adventures, now set in 1930s Italy.