Disney's Live-Action PINOCCHIO Casting Could Include Alan Cumming and Stephen Graham

Disney is making a live-action Pinocchio with director Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Forrest Gump) co-writing and directing the film and Tom Hanks cast as Geppetto. This is the only casting news we have so far on the film, but a new report from the illuminerdi says that they’ve learned of a casting update saying that “Stephen Graham is being eyed to play the Coachman, while Alan Cumming is connected to the role of Honest John.” Graham is known for his roles in Snatch, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Boardwalk Empire, and Cumming has starred in several film and TV roles such as Cabaret, X2: X-Men United, and The Good Wife. The descriptions of the roles are as follows:

COACHMAN (Live Action role) – A sinister, shadowy figure who is notorious for luring little boys to Pleasure Island where they are transformed into donkeys.

HONEST JOHN (Animated role/Voiceover) – A literal and metaphorical fox. A sly con-man. He encourages Pinocchio to stop going to school and sells him to the circus.

This is interesting news that I could see coming true. This iteration of the classic tale has been at a bit of a halt since the pandemic began, but the report states that Disney would like for production to begin before the end of the year, and Disney is looking to make the film into a theatrical release. This movie is doing a classic take on the story, and is not to be confused with the dark animated version that will be released next year from writer and director Guillermo del Toro.

Which version of Pinocchio are you most looking forward to?