The 'Inherent Vice' screenwriter is attached to write and possibly direct the live-action adaptation of the kids' tale which has Downey Jr. on board to play Gepetto.
- July 2, 2015
AceShowbiz -
Warner Bros. is moving forward with its long-in-development live-action "Pinocchio (2018)". According to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio has enlisted Paul Thomas Anderson to write a draft and possibly direct Robert Downey Jr., who will portray Gepetto, in the tale about a wooden puppet who wants to become a human boy.
The studio originally eyed Ben Stiller and Tim Burton to direct "Pinocchio". However, Burton passed on the project and turned his attention to a live-action "Dumbo" and other projects. Bryan Fuller ("Hannibal") and Jane Goldman ("Kingsman: The Secret Service") have all worked on previous drafts and Michael Mitnick ("The Giver") penned the latest draft.
Ever since Burton turned "Alice in Wonderland" into a billion-dollar live-action franchise and the Angelina Jolie starrer "Maleficent" grossed big last year, it seems like live-action kids' tales is a new moneymaking trend. Disney is bringing "Beauty and the Beast (2017)" to the big screen in March 2017 with Emma Watson in the lead. Other live-action adaptations which are in the works are "The Little Mermaid" and "The Jungle Book".
"Pinocchio" is based on 1883's novel by Italian children's writer Carlo Collodi entitled "The Adventures of Pinocchio". It follows the story of an elderly woodworker named Gepetto, whose wooden puppet is brought to life with the help of fairy. There is no official release date as of now, but the movie is reportedly due to arrive in 2018.
