Ron Howard has boarded Robert Downey Jr.’s dream project, a live-action film of Pinocchio, which is set up at Warner Bros. At one point, the movie was going to be directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.
Howard’s involvement was first reported by The Tracking Board and it continues Howard’s relationship with Warner Bros. The studio released his most recent film, In The Heart Of The Sea.
The Oscar-winning director of A Beautiful Mind and How The Grinch Stole Christmas will bring along producing partner Brian Glatzer. Dan Jinks, Downey and Susan Downey are co-producing. A new screenwriter will be attached soon to adapt the Carlo Collodi book about a wooden puppet’s journey to become a real boy.
Downey Jr. has long been interested in playing Gepetto on the big screen and has recently been getting on Warner Bros.’ back to get it made, since Disney is reportedly developing its own live-action Pinocchio. In July, Inherent Vice director Anderson had been hired to write and direct the film. He left in November.
Downey Jr. will next be seen as Iron Man again in Captain America: Civil War on May 6. As for Howard, he is currently finishing up Inferno, the new Robert Langdon movie.