It’s official, Robert Zemeckis will direct the live action version of Pinocchio for Disney.
We knew that the Oscar winning director was in talks with the studios and it is now confirmed that he will be directing, producing but also co writing along with Chris Weitz. The screenwriter previously worked on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, but he is also familiar with the Disney family, since he wrote Cinderella, the 2015 live action remake of the classic Disney movie.
The Oscar winning filmmaker is notoriously known for his work on all time classics such as Back to the Future, Who framed Roger Rabbit or The Polar Express. Casting wise, nothing has been announced yet. Tom Hanks (Zemeckis’s favorite) was mentioned to portray Gepetto, but this has not been confirmed.
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This news comes only a couple of days after the announcement of another Disney classic adaptation, Bambi. The Disney Studios keep on adding more live actions to their lists. During the D23 expo in August 2019, Disney announced their next animated and live actions films, including Mulan (out in March 2020) and Cruella (starring Emma Stone in the title role and announced for May 2021). An adaptation of Peter Pan has also been announced. These remakes are globally well received by the public. The Jungle Book (2016) and The Lion King (2019), directed by Jon Fravreau respectively brought $900 million and $1 billion worldwide at the Box Office. Aladdin, directed by Guy Ritchie also crossed the $1 billion line at the box office in 2019.
In July 2019, film producer Don Hahn (Beauty and the Beast, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Emperor’s New Groove) declared to Disney Parks Blog when talking about The Lion King live action remake “Stories are meant to be retold and it’s exciting to see that happening.(…) I didn’t know Walt Disney but I know he was forward-thinking and I think he would really be excited about the future. There’s always a new story to be told around every corner and it’s our job as storytellers to tell them.” It does seem like the future is bright for live actions movies.
What is your opinion on live action films? Are you existed for Pinocchio? Let us know in the comments!
