Based on the 1883 Italian novel The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, and Gris Grimly's design from his 2002 edition of the novel, the film, directed by Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson, stars Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Gregory Mann, Burn Gorman, John Turturro, Ron Perlman, Finn Wolfhard, Cate Blanchett, Tim Blake Nelson, Christoph Waltz, and Tilda Swinton.

[2] On January 8, 2020, Alexandre Desplat was reported to compose the film score, thereby collaborating with del Toro, for the second time after The Shape of Water (2017).

[3] While discussing the film's music in Deadline Hollywood's Sound & Screen interview, Desplat said, "Like in The Shape of Water, there are so many emotions.

The sounds were implemented using assortment of woodwind, wooden percussions, strings, piano, harp, mandolin and guitar, and also an accordion made of wood.

Desplat added that the song was not interwoven into the score, hence it stands apart from the other musical numbers; he wanted it to be a unique moment focusing on the relationship between Pinocchio and Geppetto,[8] and added "The combination of these two words — ‘Ciao,’ which is Italian, and ‘Papa,’ which works in any language — I felt that if the melody was as simple as these two words, it would be very easy to remember and to catch for anyone.

Desplat set the theme "to be dramatic, and at the same time, extremely moving without being over the top or too romantic", adding that it is "difficult to find the music of grief".

[11][12] He also appeared at the Deadline Hollywood's Sound & Screen conference and conducted the 60-piece orchestra at the live performance of the film score.

Mark Feeney of the Boston Globe wrote, "Alexandre Desplat’s score and songs — among other things, the movie’s sort of a musical — are a prime contributor to the sentimentality.

"[13] Robert Abele of the Los Angeles Times said, "The songs, though, by composer Alexandre Desplat and often sporting Del Toro’s own lyrics, benefit from being interludes of feeling instead of big showy numbers, particularly the nicely turned 'Ciao Papa'".

[18] Los Angeles Times critic Michael Ordoña hinted at the possibility of the song being nominated in various ceremonies, including the Academy Awards.