Paul King’s Paddington sequel may not have matched the box office success of its predecessor, but it’s still one of the best reviewed movies of all-time. Actually, both movies are highly regarded and financially successful, making King a hot commodity around Hollywood right now. Already he’s eying a new Willy Wonka movie, and now Disney has come calling with their long-developing Pinocchio movie.
THR reports King is in talks to direct the live-action Pinocchio remake, which previously had Sam Mendes attached before he dropped out. The current script is getting a rewrite from Wonder screenwriter, Jack Thorne, with Chris Weitz and Andrew Miano staying on board to produce.
Does the world need another Pinocchio movie? Probably not, but can you really blame Disney for going this route given the results they’ve had with other remakes? Last year’s Beauty and the Beast topped out at $1.2B, while The Jungle Book and Cinderella were also huge. Chances are Pinocchio will be, too, especially if King can spin gold like he did with Paddington.
