Disney’s live-action Pinocchio finally gets a director as Robert Zemeckis joins the project.

EW is reporting that Robert Zemeckis has boarded Disney’s live-action Pinocchio remake as the director. The film has been in the works for a while, so it’s great to see that things are finally taking shape.

Zemeckis will also be co-writing a new draft of the movie’s screenplay with Chris Weitz. Weitz is also producing the film. Zemeckis’s credits include the Back to the Future series, Forrest Gump, Cast Away, and the upcoming adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Witches.

Related: Bambi remake on the way with Captain Marvel writer penning the script

We’re interested to see how the Pinocchio remake turns out, since it’s far from the most beloved Disney movie out there. The original was released in 1940 and ranges from strange to straight up scary at times. However, the fact that most fans aren’t super attached to the source material could actually be a great opportunity for the filmmakers, especially with a great director like Zemeckis at the helm.

Whether they take Pinocchio in a new direction or make it with a more adult audience in mind, it should be a different and perhaps more interesting retelling than some of the Disney live-action remakes that have essentially been shot-for-shot reproductions. *cough*The Lion King*cough*

Although the team for this live-action remake is starting to shape up, the film still doesn’t have a release date. Now that a director is on board, we’re hoping to hear some more news soon.