Disney is developing a live-action Pinocchio with Robert Zemeckis directing from a script by Chris Weitz, and while no release date has been revealed, it's been reported that it could be sent straight to Disney+. However, there's a competing film in the works with Guillermo del Toro at the helm which is going to be released on Netflix.
This one has been in the works since 2008, with Gris Grimly and Mark Gustafson originally attached to direct. Del Toro took over in 2012, and while his stop-motion animated musical nearly fell apart in 2017 due to lack of funding, Netflix acquired the film a year later, and its set for a 2021 debut.
At ACE Universe's virtual convention, Obi-Wan Kenobi actor confirmed that he's voicing Jiminy Cricket.
"I'm playing Jiminy Cricket in Guillermo del Toro’s version of Pinocchio," McGregor shared. "And that I had started working on before I left for New York, so some of that is recorded. And of course it’s stop-frame animation, so it’s going to take them a great long time to make that film. But my first part of that, which is recording his dialogue, is sort of done."
"There may or may not be a song that needs to be recorded. I’m not sure I’m at liberty to discuss that. Even though we’re just privately talking, you know," he concluded.
Co-written and directed by del Toro, Pinocchio also stars Ron Perlman, Tilda Swinton, Christoph Waltz, and David Bradley. With the cast being put together, more details will be revealed soon.
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