Ever since Disney announced that there would be a live-action adaptation of their 1940’s animated feature Pinocchio, they haven’t been able to lock down a director. Sam Mendes (Skyfall) and Paul King (Paddington) are among the two directors that departed from the project for their own reasons, but it looks like the studio may have finally found someone to fill the spot. According to new reports, Robert Zemeckis is in talks to helm the project. More on the report below.

It looks like Disney’s live-action take on Pinocchio will need a new puppeteer.

The film was set to be directed by Paddington and Paddington 2 director Paul King. However, it looks like that is no longer happening. At least according to the film’s cinematographer Seamus McGarvey. More on the report below.

In October it was announced that Academy Award winner Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water, Pan’s Labyrinth) was finally going to make his take on Pinocchio at Netflix.

But if you were expecting something similar to Disney’s 1940 animated classic, then you haven’t been paying close enough attention to del Toro’s work. His fairy tales tend to exist in much darker worlds. And that will be no different here, as del Toro says his version is not suitable for the whole family. For a lighter take, you’ll have to look to the live-action remake Disney is currently developing.

Del Toro talked about the project recently, including whether it’s a political film, comparisons to Frankenstein’s monster, and his decade-long quest to get the film made. You can see what he had to say below.

The Shape of Water and Pan’s Labyrinth director Guillermo del Toro has been trying to make his own version of the Pinocchio for a long time now. In fact, it’s a passion project he’s wanted to do his entire life.

Now del Toro is finally getting to make Pinocchio. And better yet, he gets to make it the way he’s been trying to make for years. A stop-motion animated feature inspired by Gris Grimly‘s illustrated version of the Carlo Collodi tale, made with the help of none other than The Jim Henson Company (though they won’t be making the puppets, that will be Mackinnon & Saunders). The film is happening at Netflix which makes all the sense in the world with del Toro behind Trollhunters and an upcoming horror anthology there, and The Jim Henson Company’s Dark Crystal project set up there. And the best part? It sounds like this one is ready to go with production expected to begin this fall.

The Paddington films are so tenderly sweet, innocent, and loving. It’s hard to resist their charms. When films are as universally loved as they are, you can be sure that studios want someone like director Paul King on board for one of their projects.

Disney, who has been re-envisioning their animated films and turning them into live-action ones, will now bring in King to direct their live-action telling of Pinocchio. More on the story below.