Disney has been trying to get a live-action remake of its animated classic Pinocchio off the ground for years now. Directors Sam Mendes and Paul King both took a stab at the project, but departed. It looked like the puppet-turned-real boy would never get his chance to shine again.
However, Variety has word that Robert Zemeckis is in early talks with Disney to direct Pinocchio. He’s currently working on The Witches remake, and would jump into this project as soon as he was finished.
Zemeckis has worked with Disney twice in the past, most recently directing A Christmas Carol (which put me to sleep). However, it’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit and its blend of live-action and animation that catapulted Zemeckis to new heights after Back to the Future.
Andrew Miano and Chris Weitz will produce through their company Depth of Field. Weitz is also attached to write the script. and the latter is also writing the script.
Disney’s live-action remakes have been a cash cow for the studio, so it’s clear they want to keep the gravy train rolling. Yes, I did just shove two overused terms involving money into one sentence. And yes, I will reward myself by diving into a Scrooge McDuck vault-sized pool filled with gold coins.
In the last few years, Zemeckis’s body of work has left a lot to be desired. Fingers crossed that if he signs on to Pinocchio, he will be able to tap into what made his 80s films so enjoyable.
Do you want to see Zemeckis direct Pinocchio? What was the last film of his you liked?
