Announced back in 2015, Disney’s live-action remake of its 1940 animated feature film Pinocchio might finally be moving forward after years of limbo. With Robert Zemeckis as director, the live-action remake of Pinocchio is reportedly eyeing big stars for supporting roles.
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Earlier, director Sam Mendes (Skyfall, 1917, American Beauty) was attached to the project with Cindrella writer Chris Weitz as the screenwriter. In 2018, Sam Mendes was replaced by Paul King (Paddinton, Space Force), and Jack Thorne was brought in to write the script.
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According to an exclusive from The Illuminerdi, Disney’s live-action remake of Pinocchio is currently eyeing Alan Cumming and Stephen Graham for two interesting supporting roles. The report claims that Alan Cumming is set to play the role of Honest John while Stephen Graham is eyed to play the role of Coachman.
The official description of the two characters are given below:
Coachman: A sinister, shadowy figure who is notorious for luring little boys to Pleasure Island where they are transformed into donkeys.
Honest John: A literal and metaphorical fox. A sly con-man. He encourages Pinocchio to stop going to school and sells him to the circus.
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Stephen Graham is a notable British actor known for playing a wide variety of characters in movies and shows. Best known for his works in Guy Ritchie’s Snatch (2000), the British actor recently starred in Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman as Tony Pro. His other notable works include Public Enemies, Gangs of New York, This is England, and Pirates of the Caribbean. He is also confirmed to appear in the sequel to Sony’s Venom.
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Alan Cumming, best known for his role of Eli Gold on The Good Wife for which he won an Emmy Award. The Scottish-American actor is a notable theater artist, renowned for Hamlet, Accidental Death of an Anarchist, Macbeth, and The Bacchae. He has also appeared in Goldeneye and X2.
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For the live-action remake of Pinocchio, veteran actor and Academy Award-Winner Tom Hanks is also in talks to play the role of Geppetto, the father/creator of Pinocchio. Robert Zemeckis, the director of Pinocchio has previously collaborated with Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump, for which the actor had won his second Academy Award.
Pinocchio is scheduled to enter production by the end of this year. The movie is being considered for a theatrical release instead of an exclusive Disney+ release.
