Disney developing a live action film inspired by Pinocchio

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Another day, another Disney animated classic getting the live action treatment. Following in the footsteps of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, MULAN, THE JUNGLE BOOK, and DUMBO, Disney has now planned on a new spin on their classic PINOCCHIO. The twist this time will be that the film will follow MALEFICENT and show the traditional story in a new light.

Deadline indicates that the new PINOCCHIO will be loosely based on the classic 1883 novel about a woodcarver who crafts a son who then comes to life. We all know that Pinocchio's nose grows when he lies, but there is no word on whether the same misadventures from the Disney film will be present or if we will see something completely unique to the story.

There are multiple versions of PINOCCHIO out there including a horror version, a scifi version (A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE), a TV version on ABC's Once Upon a Time, and beyond. Guillermo Del Toro has been developing a dark version of the character he intends to direct as a stop motion feature with writer Matthew Robbins.

I get what Disney is doing but mining their classics and remaking them is going to start wearing thin unless they can manage to give each film a unique look and feel. Whether PINOCCHIO ends up coming together or not remains to be seen, but I would expect the studio to put everything they have behind it.