Sam Mendes isn’t directing the live action update of James and The Giant Peach for Disney anymore. But he may be directing Pinocchio.
Variety reports that Mendes, who certainly isn’t the first person I’d think of for any of these movies, is circling the live-action update of the puppet who became a real boy. Nothing is official yet, but it seems like a formality. Mendes is currently tied up with his stage play The Ferryman, so he hasn’t been able to meet with Disney execs to ink a deal.
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Pinocchio, with Dumbo, is next in line for a live-action remake. That Dumbo movie has Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, so keep your fingers crossed that one won’t be just a total mess. And while Mendes doesn’t feel like the obvious choice from the get go, Pinocchio does have a bit of darkness to it. Especially in those scenes where he and Lampwick turn into donkeys and smoke cigars and all that. It could be intriguing to see just how dark Mendes takes the story, or how far he’s allowed to go with it.
Stay tuned for more updates.
