Paul King is said to have dropped out of directing ‘Pinocchio’.
The 41-year-old filmmaker reportedly pulled out of helming Disney’s upcoming remake of the 1940 animated classic "over Christmas", despite reports that Tom Hanks is gearing up to play Geppetto, the woodworker who creates the titular wooden puppet.
Speaking to Discussing Film, cinematographer Seamus McGarvey said: "I don’t think it’s a secret anymore, but the film has been cancelled over the holidays, over Christmas.
"The director basically pulled out of the film, for, um, family reasons.
"Disney are trying to find a new director, but yeah, I read those reports that Tom Hanks and all those other people, but yeah, they’re trying to get it going."
In 2017, Sam Mendes was thought to be directing ‘Pinocchio’, but the filmmaker dropped out of the project that same year, which is when King – who previously directed family favourites ‘Paddington’ and ‘Paddington 2’ – took over.
The original Disney ‘Pinocchio’ film was the second animated movie made by the studio after 1937’s ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’, and was adapted from a story by Italian author Carlo Collodi.
‘Pinocchio’ tells the tale of a wooden puppet who is brought to life by a fairy, who then tells him he will become a real boy if he proves himself to be "brave, truthful, and unselfish".
The titular character then meets Jiminy Cricket, who acts as Pinocchio’s conscience and tries to steer him in the right direction.
He faces a series of adventures which include Pinocchio being kidnapped to be part of a puppet show, turned into a donkey, and swallowed by a whale.
Chris Weitz and his Depth of Field partner Andrew Miano are producing the remake.
Netflix are currently also planning a ‘Pinocchio’ project, with Guillermo Del Toro set to write and direct a stop-motion musical version.
Pinocchio remake ‘loses director Paul King’
