Posted in: Disney, Movies | Tagged: disney, film, pinocchio

Disney Hires Paddington's Paul King to Direct the Live-Action Pinocchio

Back in November, the live action remake of Pinocchio lost Sam Mendes as its director. There hasn't been any movement on the project since then, but according to The Hollywood Reporter Disney has snatched Paul King, who directed the last two Paddington movies. Paddington 2 recently became one of the best reviewed movies on Rotten Tomatoes and both of the movies are extremely well liked. It stands to reason that Disney would want to snatch up the guy making good kids movies.

Released in 1940, Pinocchio was the second animated film made by Disney, after 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. It adapted the Italian story by Carlo Collodi about a wooden boy puppet crafted by an old carver named Geppetto. The puppet is brought to life by a fairy who says he will become a real boy if he shows bravery. The character of Jiminy Cricket becomes his de facto conscience and tries to steer him in the right direction. What follows is a series of adventures that include Pinocchio being kidnapped to be part of a puppet show, getting turned into a donkey and being swallowed by a whale.

King just signed onto the Willy Wonka a re-imaging of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.Disney is in the process of remaking most of its classic movies so it was only a matter of time that they replaced Mendes. Pinocchio currently doesn't have a release date.

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