What is the name of the automaton's maker in 'The Invention of Hugo Cabret'?

In The Invention of Hugo Cabret, the automaton’s maker is Georges Méliès. The revelation connects the mysterious machine to the elderly toy-booth owner and to his forgotten career as a pioneering filmmaker.

Within the story, the automaton signs a drawing with the name “Georges Méliès.” Isabelle then explains that “Papa Georges” is her godfather and guardian, leading Hugo to discover that the old man was once the celebrated filmmaker Georges Méliès. Méliès repairs and recognizes the automaton after Hugo brings it back.

The character is based on the real French filmmaker Georges Méliès, famous for A Trip to the Moon and early cinematic special effects. Brian Selznick also drew inspiration from Maillardet’s Automaton, a real mechanical figure associated with Henri Maillardet. That historical connection can cause confusion, but the maker named in Selznick’s story is Méliès.