Tim Burton's 'Pinocchio' - Robert Dowey, Jr. to Star

[Walts Ghost]

Warner Bros., Tim Burton Courting Robert Downey Jr. to Star in Live-Action 'Pinocchio'

Tim Burton's interest in tackling a live-action version of Pinocchio is heating up, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. And Burton's choice to topline the movie is Robert Downey Jr. as Geppetto, the woodcarver who creates the puppet who dreams of becoming a real boy.

The Pinocchio story was first published in an Italian children's book written by Carlo Collodi and has been adapted several times, including the 1940 animated Disney classic.

In the version being developed at Warner Bros., Geppetto embarks on a quest to reunite with his missing marionette. The well-regarded script is by Pushing Daisies creator Bryan Fuller. Dan Jinks (American Beauty) is producing.

Neither Burton nor Downey has a deal with Warners, but sources say Burton is keen to direct the film and has begun talks with the studio, so it's just a question of whether Pinocchio will be his next movie. The Alice in Wonderland director also is eyeing an adaptation of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children at Fox, among other projects. Warners wants to move quickly with Pinocchio, so if Burton chooses to make another movie first, the studio might move on to other directors.

According to two well-placed sources, Downey has expressed serious interest in the project (and in working with Burton), but his busy schedule must still be worked out. Warner Bros. is hoping that Burton and Downey commit soon so the project can be fast-tracked.

If deals are made, Pinocchio would return Downey to Warners, which is behind his Sherlock Holmes franchise, the latest installment of which currently is in theaters. Downey also starred in the 2010 Warners comedy Due Date.

Burton is currently at work finishing Warner Bros.' Dark Shadows, based on the cult television series. That film is set for release in May.

Downey is repped by CAA and Hansen Jacobson. Burton is repped by WME and Ziffren Brittenham.

There are several other Pinocchio projects in various stages of development, including a stop-motion version being shepherded by Guillermo Del Toro.

Source

[jacobsever]

I'm getting tired of all these Tim Burton disney films.

Only thing I enjoy of his is Beetlejuice, Mars Attacks, and Big Fish.

[Walts Ghost]

Originally Posted by jacobsever

I'm getting tired of all these Tim Burton disney films.

Only thing I enjoy of his is Beetlejuice, Mars Attacks, and Big Fish.

Funny considering this isn't a Disney film...

Tim Burton is still a fine director, and I'm looking forward to see him teaming up with Downey, Jr. It'll be interesting to see him working with a leading man that isn't Johnny Depp for once.

[jacobsever]

Considering Pinnochio was made more famous as a Disney cartoon, I correlate Pinnochio = Disney.

[MarkJ801]

Originally Posted by Walts Ghost

It'll be interesting to see him working with a leading man that isn't Johnny Depp for once.

Until he casts him as a side character and focuses the entire story on him.

[X400]

is Depp going to be Pinocchio?




looking forward to anything burton or downey

[DesertFoxGoggles]

Tim Burton needs to go back to doing original ideas of his, not adapting everything and everything's nan. It's just annoying now.

[BDBooking]

This is the point where I go, "Um, Mommy, I'm scared...."

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by Walts Ghost

Funny considering this isn't a Disney film...

No, it's a Warner film, who also think they "own" Burton after Batman--
And, since I'm guessing this's the Pinocchio that Guillermo del Toro didn't have time for, Warner thought they could quickly plug in "their" Tim to make "their" Alice in Wonderland.

...What do we do with an entire city that thought Alice was "good" just because it made some stupid money?

[Foggy]

Who's willing to bet this isn't the dark Russian fairytale version, and more comedic, quirky, BORING bullshit Tim Burton consistently pulls out of his anus!

[Brightstar]

Originally Posted by DesertFoxGoggles

Tim Burton needs to go back to doing original ideas of his, not adapting everything and everything's nan. It's just annoying now.

I agree walt disney's pinocchio is a masterpiece

[wilky61]

Wow, triple whammy for me. I don't like Tim Burton's directorial style, I've grown tired of Robert Downey Jr's smugness and his weird (drug-induced?) mannerisms, and Pinocchio is my favorite pre-1960 Disney movie. There's just no way I'd like this better than the original.

I will say, though, that I thought both the 1951 and the 2010 Alice in Wonderland were crappy, but that probably owes more to the source material itself.

[The Mad Kiwi]

I'm going to be cautiously optimistic about this (an unpopular opinion, apparently, judging by this thread). I'm a Burton fan, but I also admit that he seems to be only as good as his scripts allow. His eye candy might elevate the material somewhat, but not to a great degree. I point to Alice in Wonderland, which in my opinion was excellent in every way...except when it came to the screenplay. Woolverton's script was too generic and un-Carrollesque, and Burton was only able to do so much to inject some personality into it.

Now we have Pinocchio (or, rather, a Pinocchio sequel much like Alice was), and I see Bryan Fuller has penned the screenplay. Fuller has a real knack for whimsy and comedy (something Alice desperately needed that Woolverton couldn't deliver), while still overlaying it all with real emotion and heart. Downey's fame has also allowed him to be picky with his projects, so if he has expressed interest in this, that seems like a good sign to me that it's a strong screenplay. So a good script+Downey in the lead+Burton's visuals=success for me (or it should, anyway). I'm far more concerned over Disney's Maleficent movie since they've got Woolverton penning that one...

And for those wondering if this has anything to do with Guillermo's project, it doesn't. The Guillermo one (which he's producing, not directing) is a straight adaptation of the original book, not a sequel like this Burton one is. That one's being directed by Gris Grimly and Mark Gustafson and will be a stop-motion animation project.

Originally Posted by wilky61

I will say, though, that I thought both the 1951 and the 2010 Alice in Wonderland were crappy, but that probably owes more to the source material itself.

Ouch.

[X12Celtics3]

I'm cautiously optimistic.

1. Although Burton has had some pretty poor movies recently, I like some of his movies so much that I still get excited when I hear about his new projects. When I hear Burton's name, I tend not to think of Planet of the Apes, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Alice in Wonderland, but rather his better movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Big Fish, and Sweeney Todd.

2. I really liked Pushing Daisies, so I have hope that Fuller's script will be good.

3. It would be refreshing to see a Burton movie that did not star Depp. I like Depp well enough, but I am SO SICK of seeing him play the same characters in all of Burton's movies. Its like all of his characters are so weird and eccentric that they become the same person, I have never seen a directors abuse the talents of a skilled actor to such negative effect.

4. Even if this totally sucks, which won't really be surprising given Burton's recent track record with well-known properties, I'll still have Guillermo Del Toro's adaption of Pinocchio to look forward to.

[csdot]

ill probably end up seeing it because Downey is great in everything, but honestly doesnt Tim Burton have a single original bone in his body? why does every movie he makes have to be a remake or reimagining of some kind.

[JonD7]

I've give anything that Tim Burton makes a chance.

[P@t_Mtl]

I won't have much interest in this. Never really enjoyed the story of Pinocchio, from the original to the Disney movie and all other adaptation. I find it to be a very boring story. I won't be watching this one either, just have no interest in it.

[Crimson King]

betcha Helena Bonham Carter will will be in this film too.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by csdot

ill probably end up seeing it because Downey is great in everything, but honestly doesnt Tim Burton have a single original bone in his body? why does every movie he makes have to be a remake or reimagining of some kind.

There's no question he's become a one-trick-at-best-pony over the years but matierial really isn't his problem.

Off the top of my head I can't recall too many movies that pick up Geppetto's story. Hook wasn't just a retelling of Peter Pan, it was actually a pretty interesting, original idea. This could be fairly interesting and original too.

Burton's problem isn't that he never does original stuff. His problem is even when he does original stuff he always does it in the exact same way.

[KilloWertz]

Who's Robert Dowey, Jr.?

Anyways, I'll join the short list of people with Walt's Ghost that now has interest in this. Unlike most people here, I don't have anything against Tim Burton and Robert Downey, Jr. is one of my favorite actors (if not #1).