Paddington 2’s Paul King to Direct Disney’s Live-Action Pinocchio

Paddington 2 director Paul King is set to helm Disney’s live-action Pinocchio

Paddington 2 director Paul King is set to take on Disney’s live-action version of Pinocchio, according to THR. The studio is hoping to begin production on Pinocchio in the fall. A release date has not been set for the film yet. It was recently reported that King was also in talks to direct the upcoming Willy Wonka film.

RELATED: Paddington Director Paul King in Talks to Take on Willy Wonka

The Walt Disney Studios film will center on the wooden puppet who dreams of becoming a “real boy,” and the relationship between a father and son, the ramifications of lying and creating stories and living in a fantasy world.

The original Pinocchio, based on the 1883 novel The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, first debuted in theaters in 1940 and won two Academy Awards. In the 1940 Disney-animated film Pinocchio, the lead role was voiced by Dickie Jones, Jiminy Cricket by Cliff Edwards, and Master Geppetto by Christian Rubb.

Pinocchio is one of the many Disney animated classic films that are getting the live-action treatment. So far we’ve seen films like Cinderella, Maleficent (based on Sleeping Beauty), and The Jungle Book in live-action (or a CGI/live-action mix), with others on the way including The Lion King and Mulan.

Paul King is known for directing both Paddington and Paddington 2 as well as The Mighty Boosh and Bunny and the Bull.

(Photo Credit: Getty Images)