Tom Hanks Will Play Geppetto in Disney’s Live-Action ‘Pinocchio’
Get ready for a Forrest Gump reunion. (Technically, a Cast Away reunion too.)
That’s because, per Deadline, Tom Hanks is in “negotiations” to star in Disney’s live-action version of Pinocchio, which is currently in development by director Robert Zemeckis. Hanks would play Geppetto, the kindly old woodcarver who creates Pinocchio and becomes his father.
More, per Deadline:
Although insiders say negotiations are very early, we hear that after reading the script, Hanks has reached out to Zemeckis to let him know he wants to do the film ... Hanks and Zemeckis’ long-standing relationship going back to when they both won Oscars for their work on Forrest Gump, this seems more likely to move forward.
If this news sounds vaguely familiar, that’s because this is not the first time Hanks has been attached to this movie. He was also interested in playing Geppetto in a previous version of this project, which was going to be directed by Paddington and Paddington 2 director Paul King. That version fell apart; Zemeckis then came aboard, and now Hanks is back involved again.
If the movie happens, it will be Hanks and Zemeckis’ first collaboration since 2004’s The Polar Express, the first of Zemeckis’ motion-captured animated movies. Pinocchio was supposed to be live-action, continuing the company’s recent tradition of remaking its most popular animated movies with modern casts. (This news comes a day after Disney revealed its most recent remake, Mulan, will be available as an exclusive rental on the Disney+ streaming service.) With Zemeckis’ skill with special effects, he seems like the ideal guy to direct this movie. And Hanks, y’know, he seems like a pretty decent actor too. He’s made a couple solid pictures at this point.
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