Robert Downey Jr.’s Pinocchio To Be Written By Paul Thomas Anderson

Paul Thomas Anderson will write Warner Bros. live action Pinocchio movie, starring Robert Downey Jr. as Geppetto, THR reports.

Anderson and Downey are friends who were meant to work together on Anderson’s Inherent Vice, but Downey’s commitment to Avengers: Age of Ultron got in the way. The two have been looking to work together for some time, and Pinocchio finally provides them the chance.

Michael Mitnick (The Giver) wrote the most recent version of the film’s script, based on Carlo Collodi’s original novel. Downey has been working on this project for years, but the recent trend towards live action remakes of children’s animated movies has given it a renewed priority.

Downey will appear as Iron Man in Captain America: Civil War, opening May 2016.