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Disney’s Live-Action Pinocchio Finally Moving Forward With Robert Zemeckis
Oscar-award winning director Robert Zemeckis has been officially confirmed to direct Disney's live-action adaptation of Pinocchio. The seasoned director known for movies like Back to the Future, The Polar Express, and A Christmas Carol has been in talks to direct the live-action Pinocchio adaptation about the puppet who just wanted to be a real boy for months, but the news was just made official this week.
The classic 1940 original Pinocchio movie was based off a story by Carlo Collodi and was Disney's second-ever animated film. An artist named Geppetto carves a boy puppet out of wood and christens him Pinocchio. After a magical blue fairy brings Pinocchio to life, the puppet has one goal, which is to become a real boy. Armed with a cricket personifying his conscience and a strong will, Pinocchio sets out to fulfill his dream. Paddington director Paul King had taken over for director Sam Mendes for the live-action remake of Pinocchio, but later stepped down from the project for unknown reasons. Pinocchio had been lingering in development limbo until Zemeckis stepped up to the directorial plate.
According to Deadline, Zemeckis will direct and co-write the Pinocchio script with Chris Weitz. Details remain vague regarding casting, production times and the actual release date for the movie's premiere. However, the movie will likely hit theaters during specific dates Disney has reserved for future upcoming live actions releases, the earliest date being March 12, 2021 ranging to the latest date of December 15, 2023.
More than likely the movie will premiere a year or two from now due to the fact Pinocchio just landed an official director and filming has yet to begin. Disney has had a string of consistent box office hits from their slew of live-action remakes of their classic animated films from The Lion King to Aladdin. Future films that Disney plans to remake in live-action adaptations include everything from Bambi to the highly anticipated premiere of Mulan this year. Financially, most of the live-action remakes have done extremely well, although critics have noted some of the films like The Lion King were too dependent on the pre-existing fanbase and didn't take a chance with the source material, rather just redoing the same exact plot in a brand new film.
Robert Zemeckis has a proven track record as a capable director of a wide variety of film genres, and hasn't been afraid to take a risk by re-telling classic tales with new digital technology and a fresh perspective. While it's far too soon to tell whether or not Pinocchio will be a successor to the long line of Disney live-action remake box office hits, production has a strong start with a director like Zemeckis. Hopefully the director won't be afraid to take a chance with Pinocchio, and present a classic new take on an iconic story for audiences old and new.
