‘Pinocchio’ Starring Robert Downey Jr. Is Gearing Up Production


Get ready, because Robert Downey Jr. is going to be playing Geppetto in the Pinocchio film. Pinocchio, which is rumored to be a live-action film, might get director Paul Thomas Anderson to helm the project, with Downey Jr. playing the wood maker.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Anderson is definitely writing at least a draft of the script, and might be persuaded to direct the film as well. As some of you know, Downey was supposed to collaborate with Anderson on his film Inherent Vice, but Avengers: Age of Ultron held him back. Instead Joaquin Phoenix replaced Downey Jr. in the lead role. Anderson and Downey Jr. have been looking to collaborate ever since.

It’s said that this is a passion project for Robert Downey Jr. and he’s been wanting to do this for years. Originally, The Giver’s Michael Mitnick wrote the original script, and Downey Jr. has been tweaking it over several months. Pinocchio is just one of several films that have been turned into live-action films. Pan, the Peter Pan adventure, is hitting theaters soon, and past adaptations include Alice in Wonderland, Oz: The Great and Powerful, and of course Angelina Jolie in Maleficent, which took home $758 million worldwide.

What this told studios is that kids films bring in big bank — especially those that are live-action.

Here’s a bit of response following the news that Downey Jr. is gearing up for the live-action film.

While fans took to Variety to air out their disappointment. One user commentor said, “I really like much of Anderson’s work, but this sounds sooooo boring,” while another was a bit more diplomatic, “I almost agree. The idea of Anderson doing a hired-by-the-studio type project is interesting and amusing, but the familiarity (and severely lacking previous adaptations) of Pinocchio make it seem a little boring. I’m open, though, to see what they deliver.”

What do you think about Robert Downey Jr. as Geppetto in the film about the boy who can’t lie?

If this isn’t getting you too excited, you can catch Robert Downey Jr. in the upcoming films Sherlock Holmes 3 and Captain America: Civil War.

[Photo by Rob Kim / Getty Images]

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