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Tom Hanks is barely recognizable as Geppetto in a teaser trailer released on Tuesday of the live-action remake of the classic animated tale, “Pinocchio.”
The 65-year-old actor donned a gray, curly-haired wig to match a mustache for his role as an Italian wood carver in the reimagined story inspired by the 1940 fantasy about a wooden puppet who comes to life with the help of a little bit of magic.
“Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight,” Geppetto repeated the classic line in the trailer. “I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight.”
The film follows Pinocchio on a series of wild adventures to becoming a real boy, with the help of Jiminy Cricket (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt,) who acts as his conscience.
Tom Hanks will star as the wood carver Geppetto in Disney’s “Pinocchio.” Hanks poses in the press room during the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 05, 2020 in Beverly Hills
(Steve Granitz/WireImage)
The beloved Disney tune, “When You Wish Upon a Star,” opens the trailer and follows Geppetto as he realizes his craftsmanship comes to life.
Cynthia Erivo will portray the magical “Blue Fairy” while Keegan-Michael Key is set to play “Honest John.”
Luke Evans portrays the “Coachman” villain, and Lorraine Bracco will play a new character, “Sofia the Seagull.”
Evans — who played Gaston in the 2017 retelling of “Beauty and the Beast” — said on a D23 podcast last year that he was grateful his character looks nothing like the animation.
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“Things are not going to be the same as they were in the animation. The storyline is very, very similar, but there were some characters that [Zemeckis] was able to dramatically enhance, and the Coachman is one of those,” he said.
“I get to use all of my musical theater experience and skills in this character. I can’t tell you too much because I want it to be a surprise, but there are some really wonderful gifts that he gave me as an actor with the character.”
He added: “You see a coachman in many different ways. I don’t want to give away any more than that. But he isn’t just the average human being, if that means anything to you. He’s a very unusual creature. He’s rather terrifying. If you think Gaston is scary, wait until you meet the Coachman!”
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Disney has slowly, but surely, been hard at work bringing animated classics to life after success at the box office with the likes of its live-action flicks, such as “Beauty and the Beast” with $1.2 billion worldwide in 2017 and “The Jungle Book” pulling in $966.5 million worldwide in 2016.
Tim Burton’s 2010 “Alice in Wonderland” with Johnny Depp garnered more than $1 billion globally, Kenneth Branagh’s 2015 “Cinderella” earned more than $500 million at the global box office, and “The Lion King,” directed by Jon Favreau in 2019, grossed over $1.6 billion worldwide.
Directed by Robert Zemeckis — who previously worked with Hanks in “Forrest Gump” and “Cast Away” — “Pinocchio” debuts on the Disney+ streaming service on Thursday, Sept. 8.
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