Well, now this is something I do not recall hearing about before, and I’m usually pretty up on my Robert Downey Jr. news. The star has apparently been in talks to play Geppetto in a (presumably) live-action version of Pinocchio. Now his good friend and Tropic Thunder director/co-star Ben Stiller is reportedly looking into helming Pinocchio. This just got a whole lot more interesting.
The concept has been kicking around for awhile now, as these things tend to do. There was word that Tim Burton might direct – that might have been a very cool pairing! –but now it appears that Burton is out and Stiller is making headway.
Robert Downey Jr. has stated that he views his Geppetto as a cross beteen Jake LaMotta and Chico Marx, which is either the greatest idea in the world, or a piece of RDJ sarcasm that just sounds awesome. Either way, it’s quite a way to approach the character. More seriously, Downey Jr. also recently commented that “to me a wooden boy is a real boy who doesn’t feel like he’s acknowledged.”
Is Stiller the one to bring Pinocchio to the big screen? Maybe. He has a less weird sensibility than someone like Burton and is perfectly capable of mixing extreme humor with pathos – both of which the Pinocchio story demands. So if this film does happen, it’s sure to be an intriguing combination.
More than anything, though, I will be glad to see Robert Downey Jr. in a non-Marvel movie. As much fun as the Iron Man films and The Avengers are, the guy is a talented actor who really should be flexing his acting muscles. He’s set to shoot The Judge this summer, so we’ll be on the lookout for that next year.
What do you think of the potentials of Pinocchio? A winning or wooden combination? Let us know in the comments.