Tom Hanks may play Geppetto in Disney's live-action Pinocchio movie

Tom Hanks is in early talks to play the fatherly figure Geppetto in Disney’s live-action adaptation of its classic animated tale 'Pinocchio', reported Variety.

Disney first released the film Pinocchio, which is based on the Carlo Collodi's children's book The Adventures of Pinocchio, in 1940. The movie was Disney's second animated feature film, following three years after Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

The film is set to be directed by Paul King, who is also the filmmaker behind the Paddington movies. The casting would push forward yet another live-action reboot of a Disney classic. 

The studio’s feature film strategy has been working at the box office, as its live-action 'Beauty and the Beast' made $1.2 billion worldwide in 2017 and 'The Jungle Book' grossed $966.5 million worldwide in 2016. Next year, Disney plans on releasing three live-action takes: 'Dumbo,'  which bows in March; 'Aladdin,' which opens in May; and 'The Lion King,' which opens in June.

Hanks has a busy 2019 ahead of him, starting with the World War II pic “Greyhound” followed by his return to the 'Toy Story' world, reprising the voice of Woody in the fourth installment. He is currently filming the untitled Mr. Rogers movie for TriStar, in which he plays the iconic TV personality.