--- description: Downey is onboard to play Geppetto and Paul Thomas Anderson will write title: Paul Thomas Anderson to Write Robert Downey Jr.'s 'Pinocchio' image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1eada9dfbaddcb9e/6988595735ba6f6c25c0e089/robert-downey-jr.jpg?branch=production&width=1080&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [movies](/tag/movies/) ## movies Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Robert Downey Jr's _Pinocchio_ Enlists Paul Thomas Anderson to Write by [Tatiana Siegel / The Hollywood Reporter](/author/the-hollywood-reporter/) ## Tatiana Siegel / The Hollywood Reporter Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 1, 2015 6:58 PM CUT  Robert Downey Jr. at "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" in New York City on April 27, 2015. Robert Downey Jr. at "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" in New York City on April 27, 2015.Theo Wargo—NBC/Getty Images by [Tatiana Siegel / The Hollywood Reporter](/author/the-hollywood-reporter/) ## Tatiana Siegel / The Hollywood Reporter Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 1, 2015 6:58 PM CUT Warner Bros. and Team Downey are moving forward with their live-action take on _Pinocchio_ and have enlisted Paul Thomas Anderson to write a draft with an eye toward directing. Though the film would seem far outside of Anderson’s wheelhouse, the move shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. Downey was poised to star in Anderson’s _Inherent Vice_ until his _Avengers: Age of Ultron_ obligations got in the way and Joaquin Phoenix stepped in to play the lead. Downey and Anderson are good friends and have been looking to work together for some time. _The Giver_ writer Michael Mitnick penned the latest draft of _Pinocchio_, and Downey has been quietly tweaking the script for the past six months. Downey has been developing _Pinocchio_ for years, but the project has found new urgency in the wake of a string of live-action hits based on kids’ classics, most recently Disney’s _Cinderella_. Ever since auteur Tim Burton turned _Alice in Wonderland_ into a billion-dollar live-action franchise and the Angelina Jolie starrer _Maleficent_ earned $758 million worldwide last year, the studios have been angling to set up projects based on live-action kids’ tales, with A-list directors flocking to the projects across town. Disney is bringing _Beauty and the Beast_ to the big screen in March 2017 with Emma Watson in the lead and Bill Condon directing. Jon Favreau is filming _The Jungle Book_, also for Disney, for an April 2016 release. Not to be outdone, Warners has its own _Jungle Book_ in production that stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Christian Bale and Cate Blanchett. That version, which will be released Oct. 6, 2017, will be a mix of live-action and performance capture CGI. Over at Universal, a live-action version of _The Little Mermaid_ is in the works, though Sofia Coppola recently dropped out due to creative differences. Burton, who was initially attached to direct _Pinocchio_, will instead direct a live-action _Dumbo_ for Disney. Downey is onboard to play Geppetto in the tale about a wooden puppet who wants to become a human boy.Bryan Fuller and Jane Goldman wrote previous drafts of the story that is based on a novel by Carlo Collodi. Downey, who most recently starred in _Ultron_, has a long-standing relationship with Warners (he recently starred in _The Judge_ for the studio). He will produce _Pinocchio_ alongside Team Downey partner Susan Downeyas well as Dan Jinks (_Milk_). Anderson is a six-time Oscar nominee who received a director mention for 2007’s _There Will Be Blood_. He most recently received a screenplay nomination this year for _Inherent Vice_. Anderson is repped by CAA and Jackoway Tyerman. Mitnick is repped by WME, Grandview and Sloane Offer. _This_ [_article_](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/paul-thomas-anderson-write-robert-783978 "undefined") _originally appeared on_ [_The Hollywood Reporter_](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com "undefined") _More from The Hollywood Reporter:_ * [Comic-Con Preview: The Film Lineup (Updating)](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/comic-con-2015-film-lineup-801895 "undefined") * [Robert Downey Jr., Producer Wife Susan Reveal Their Quirky Relationship, “Perfectly Symbiotic” Marriage](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/robert-downey-jr-producer-wife-737108 "undefined") * [2015 Summer Movie Guide: Sequels… Comedy… Action!](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gallery/2015-summer-movie-guide-sequels-796697 "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3943680/rdj-pinocchio-paul-thomas-anderson/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3943680/rdj-pinocchio-paul-thomas-anderson/"},"headline":"Robert Downey Jr's Pinocchio Enlists Paul Thomas Anderson to Write","datePublished":"2015-07-01T18:58:49.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T08:42:57.571Z","description":"There Will Be Blood director to take on script while Downey will play Gepetto","url":"https://time.com/3943680/rdj-pinocchio-paul-thomas-anderson/","keywords":["movies","Robert Downey Jr."],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1eada9dfbaddcb9e/6988595735ba6f6c25c0e089/robert-downey-jr.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Tatiana Siegel / The Hollywood Reporter"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1eada9dfbaddcb9e/6988595735ba6f6c25c0e089/robert-downey-jr.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Robert Downey Jr. at \"The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon\" in New York City on April 27, 2015.","caption":"Robert Downey Jr. at \"The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon\" in New York City on April 27, 2015.","creditText":"Theo Wargo—NBC/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/movies/","name":"movies"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3943680/rdj-pinocchio-paul-thomas-anderson/","name":"Robert Downey Jr's Pinocchio Enlists Paul Thomas Anderson to Write"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Late-Night Highlight: The Avengers Play Family Feud On 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'","description":"The entire cast of the 'Avengers' movie franchise graced the \"Jimmy Kimmel Live\" stage Monday night and played a super game of Family Feud.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/iYv6XSW4/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-04-14T07:31:29.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/iYv6XSW4.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3943680/rdj-pinocchio-paul-thomas-anderson/","duration":"PT1M21S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3943680/rdj-pinocchio-paul-thomas-anderson/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```