Two-time Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks is reportedly in early talks to play Geppetto in Disney's live-action adaptation of Pinocchio.
Based on the children's novel The Adventures of Pinocchio by Italian writer Carlo Collodi, Disney released an animated film adaptation in 1940. It was the company's second animated film, coming three years after Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.
For those unfamiliar with the tale, Pinocchio tells the story of a wooden puppet carved by an old woodworker named Geppetto and brought to life by a fairy. With the help of Jiminy Cricket, who serves as his conscience, Pinocchio embarks on a wild adventure to prove himself worthy of becoming a real boy. The character is best-known for his nose, which grows every time he tells a lie. Geppetto, of course, is a key figure in the story, becoming the fatherly figure to Pinocchio.
Paul King, director of the very successful Paddington movies, will helm the live-action adaptation with Andrew Miano and Chris Weitz serving as producers. King, Weitz, and Simon Farnaby all contributed to the current draft of the screenplay. It will presumably follow the same general premise as the 1940's animated classic with perhaps a few twists on the original story.
Disney has found incredible success with the live-action remakes of its animated catalog of movies. 2017's Beauty and the Beast made a whopping $1.2 billion, while The Jungle Book raked in $966.5 million worldwide in 2016. Disney already has plans to release three live-action adaptations in 2019 - Dumbo on March 29, Aladdin on May 24, and The Lion King on July 19.
Production on the live-action Pinocchio is slated to begin next summer.