Robert Downey Jr. and Tim Burton Probably Making a Pinocchio Now

Back in September 2010, Warner Bros. looked jealously upon Alice in Wonderland, and plaintively wished upon a star that they one day get their very own Tim Burton-esque adaptation of an old Disney cartoon. And today, thanks to a little magic and a ton of money, it seems the studio may at last receive even more than they wished for, with news that a real-live Tim Burton is in talks to direct their planned live-action adaptation of Pinocchio.

What's more, while you're already expecting to hear Johnny Depp's name next, officially making this the most "dark, Tim Burton-esque adaptation" since last time Tim Burton made a dark, Tim Burton-esque adaptation, it seems Depp is not the one currently attached to the lead. Rather, Burton reportedly has his eye on a different handsome, late forties, white, dark-haired, tinted glasses-wearing, box office-established former bad boy: Robert Downey Jr. Burton can drink a Pepsi instead of a Coke every now and then, guys. He may wince a little at first, but he'll choke it down.

Neither have yet officially committed to the project, but Warner is said to be eager to get them locked so that they can rush this effer out in time to compete with Guillermo del Toro's dark stop-motion Pinocchio and Shawn Levy's reportedly Big Fish-like story of Geppetto. Of all the dark and/or Tim Burton-esque Pinocchios out there, theirs will be the most darkly Tim Burton-esque of all! They were totally wearing Jack Skellington beanies before everyone else in their class, too.