Pinocchio coming to life for live-action film

Roadside Attractions shared a trailer of the new film Pinocchio, a live-action movie featuring Italian actors Roberto Benigni and Federico Ielapi.

The preview shows Geppetto (Benigni), a woodcarver who brings Pinocchio (Ielapi), a wooden puppet to life.

“Easily led astray, Pinocchio tumbles from one misadventure to another as he is tricked, kidnapped and chased by bandits through a wonderful world of imaginative creatures — from the belly of a giant fish, to the Land of Toys and the Field of Miracles,” an official description reads.

Pinocchio is based on the Carlo Collodi book The Adventures of Pinocchio.

Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch sold

Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch in California has found a new owner in billionaire businessman Ron Burkle.

The property was sold for $22 million to Burkle, an associate of the late pop star and co-founder of the investment firm Yucaipa Companies.

In addition to a 12,500 square-foot main residence and a 3,700 square-foot pool house, the property boasts a separate building with a 50-seat movie theatre and a dance studio. Other features on the ranch are a ‘Disney-style’ train station, a fire house and barn.

Kids of superheroes to save the world

Writer-director Robert Rodriguez offers an odd mash up of two movies from the 2000s with We Can Be Heroes, basically the offspring of his Spy Kids and The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl.

This new movie ties directly into the latter, featuring the kids of those heroes as well as others — with names like Miracle Guy — brought together to save the world after their parents get quickly overwhelmed and captured by alien invaders.

The parents, notably, feature some recognisable faces despite the puny nature of their roles, including Pedro Pascal, Christian Slater, Boyd Holbrook and the original Lavagirl, Taylor Dooley.

The focus is squarely on the children, a modestly appealing group led by outsider Missy (YaYa Gosselin), whose main skill lies in coaxing her peers about the need to operate as a team. Unlike the aforementioned movies that feature high-school-age kids, the children are younger here, and the movie possesses a sensibility similar to Disney Channel’s fare.

Published in Dawn, Young World, January 2nd, 2021