Another day, another bit of news on Disney’s ever-expanding live-action universe. Today, Deadline has reported that yet another Disney classic set to undergo the jump into the “real world” with news that beloved film Pinocchio is set to join the list of those being given a 21st century make-over.
Peter Hedges (Pieces of April) is penning a new feature for the studio, which loosely based on The Adventures of Pinocchio about a marionette puppet carved from wood who dreams of becoming a real boy. Pinocchio gets his wish but is prone to lies, and each time he does, his nose grows longer. First appearing in 1883, Pinocchio was the invention of author Carlo Collodi, and was Disney’s second feature back in 1940.
Despite Disney’s move to remake the film, it isn’t the only project on the horizon for the little puppet. Director Guillermo del Toro (Pacific Rim) is developing a different take on the tale, which is set to have a much darker tone, and will see him direct a script he has written with Matthew Robbins (Crimson Peak), and would be a stop-motion affair.
Disney meanwhile have many irons in the fire with regard its slew of live-action remakes: Cinderella is currently raking it in at the worldwide box office ($400 million thus far) following Maleficent and Alice in Wonderland’s huge success in recent years. Next up is 2016’s The Jungle Book, directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man) which stars the vocal talents of Scarlett Johansson, Idris Elba, Christopher Walken and Bill Murray amongst others, which will be followed in 2017 by Beauty and the Beast, starring Emma Watson, Josh Gad, Dan Stephens, Luke Evans, Emma Thompson and Kevin Kline.
There is also Tim Burton’s Dumbo remake on the horizon in the next few years, as well as the recently announced Mulan and Winnie the Pooh projects, although the latter is still officially unconfirmed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&list=PL18yMRIfoszFLSgML6ddazw180SXMvMz5&v=pnc360pUDRI
Originally published April 9, 2015. Updated April 15, 2018.
