Disney’s upcoming live action adaptation of Pinocchio may be close to zeroing in on a director to take the reins!

According to Variety, director Robert Zemeckis is currently in early talks to helm Disney’s live action adaptation of Pinocchio.

The adaptation of Disney’s beloved 1940 animated classic about a wooden puppet who longs to become a real boy has gone through quite a few different directors since the project was first announced.

Originally, the film was to be helmed by Skyfall director Sam Mendes. The James Bond vet eventually walked away from the project in November of 2017, though no explanation was given with regards to why Mendes decided to bow out.

Last year, it seemed as though Disney may have found the perfect man for the job in Paddington and Paddington 2 director Paul King. Unfortunately, King too chose to walk away from the project earlier this year for reasons unknown.

King’s departure has of course, made way for Zemeckis (whose previous credits include Back to the Future and Welcome to Marwen) to take over.

Though sources say Zemeckis is still in early talked to sign on, and that a deal hasn’t officially closed yet, Variety also reports that the director “has been eyeing the project since this summer.”

One thing that could be holding negotiations up is the fact that Zemeckis is currently in the process of adapting another beloved children’s tale for the big screen.

At the beginning of the year, it was revealed that Zemeckis will be directing and co-writing a new adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Witches starring Anne Hathaway and Octavia Spencer.

As for Pinocchio, there’s currently no word with regards to who might star in Disney’s upcoming live action adaptation. Additionally, Disney has yet to announce when we might see the famed wooden puppet hit the big screen.