Robert Zemeckis Closes Deal To Direct & Co-Write Disney’s Live-Action ‘Pinocchio’

Anthony D'Alessandro

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It’s official. Oscar-winning filmmaker Robert Zemeckis is fully aboard Disney’s live-action remake of its animated classic Pinocchio. He’ll direct, and co-write the next draft with Chris Weitz for a possible year-end production start.

Casting is still being determined.

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Zemeckis and Weitz will write off the previous draft that the latter penned with Simon Farnaby. The original 1940 Disney animated classic film ($85M lifetime domestic B.O. unadjusted for inflation) follows a wooden puppet, his father-creater Geppetto and the former’s quest to become a real boy.

Andrew Miano and Weitz are producing Pinocchio through their Depth of Field label. Jack Rapke and Jackie Levine are executive producing.

While no release date has been set for Pinocchio, Disney has several dates reserved for untitled live-action features: March 12, 2021; July 30, 2021; Oct. 8, 2021; Nov. 19, 2021; March 25, 2022; May 27,2022; July 8, 2022; Aug. 12, 2022; Nov. 4, 2022; March 10, 2023; May 26, 2023; July 14, 2023; Aug. 11, 2023; Oct. 6, 2023; and Dec. 15, 2023. Their next live-action reboot of a classic animated title is Mulan on March 27.

Up next for Zemeckis is Warner Bros.’ The Witches on Oct. 9 starring Anne Hathaway, based on the Roald Dahl novel. Zemeckis is also a producer on Amblin’s Tom Hanks sci-fi pic Bios which is scheduled for an Oct. 2 release via Universal.

Zemeckis is repped by WME. Weitz is repped by UTA and Morris Yorn Barnes Levine Krintzman Rubenstein Kohner & Gellman.

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