Thanks to Disney Studios, fans can see Tom Hanks transformed into Geppetto for the live-action remake of the animated classic Pinocchio, which is set for release on Disney Plus in 2022.
Robert Zemeckis, the genius behind Forrest Gump, Back to the Future, and Allied, is directing the remake of the classic 1940s animated Disney film, which was adapted from Carlo Collodi's children's novel The adventures of Pinocchio. Zemeckis also wrote the screenplay for Pinocchio with Chris Weitz, who is partnered with Andre Milano as producer.
The Disney Plus release boasts an impressive cast starring Hanks as Geppetto, Joseph Gorden-Levitt as Jiminy Cricket, Luke Evans as the sly coachman, and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as the real boy - Pinocchio. The story starts with Geppetto, a toy-maker who is desperate for a child and makes the puppet Pinocchio out of wood. The new Disney photo shows Hanks with unruly white hair and a scruffy mustache in front of a yet-to-come-alive Pinocchio sitting on his workbench. The remake has stayed true to the originals' design of Pinocchio, with his yellow hat with the red feather, alpine style clothing, and extremely similar face.
However, this isn't Disney's first attempt at remaking Pinocchio, as a few years back they began working on the classic with director Paul King after his sequel for Paddington 2 became a huge success, but nothing came of it. Warner Brothers had also announced their own Pinocchio movie with Robert Downey Jr. set to play both Pinocchio and Geppetto with Ron Howard as the director. But was stalled for unknown reasons. Also, Guillermo del Toro's version of Pinocchio is also set to release this year on the streaming service Netflix, which will certainly lend a sinister retelling in del Toro's distinct style.
Following the huge successes of Disney's live-action remakes of Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Maleficent, Cruella, The Lion King, and Aladdin, it comes to no real surprise that Disney is now reinvesting its time into creating a live-action version of Pinocchio, playing to the memories of many people who watched Pinocchio as children. Disney will be evolving into a nostalgia trip for fans as the studio plans to release other upcoming live-action remakes of its animated classics, such as The Little Mermaid, which is scheduled for May 26, 2023, and Peter Pan & Wendy.
Pinocchio is scheduled to release as a Disney Plus exclusive in September 2022.
Source: Disney Studios