Ron Howard To Direct Robert Downey Jr.'s Pinocchio

Academy Award-winning director Ron Howard will direct the forthcoming live-action Pinocchio starring Robert Downey, Jr.

The Tracking Board confirms that Howard, who directed such films as Splash and A Beautiful Mind along with blockbusters like The Da Vinci Code, will take over for Paul Thomas Anderson, who exited the project.

The film reportedly revolves around Gepetto, who sets out on a journey to find the missing Pinocchio.

Howard recently directed Downey's Avengers co-star Chris Hemsworth in the Moby-Dick-inspired In The Heart of the Sea.