Cynthia Erivo to Play Blue Fairy in Robert Zemeckis’ ‘Pinocchio’ (Exclusive)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt will play Jiminy Cricket while Tom Hanks stars as Geppetto

Cynthia Erivo Blue Fairy Pinocchio
Cynthia Erivo Blue Fairy Pinocchio

Cynthia Erivo has closed a deal to play the Blue Fairy in Disney’s live-action “Pinocchio,” TheWrap has learned exclusively.

The Blue Fairy is a magical being who fulfills Geppetto’s wish and transforms Pinocchio into a real boy. She is also a companion to Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket throughout their adventures.

Also announced on Wednesday were Benjamin Evan Ainsworth voicing the title character of Pinocchio, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the voice of Jiminy Cricket, Keegan-Michael Key as the voice of Honest John and Lorraine Bracco as the voice of Sofia the Seagull, a new character, in the film, which will combine live action and visual effects.

The film, directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Zemeckis and Chris Weitz, based on Disney’s 1940 animated classic, will begin production next month in the U.K. and will debut on Disney+.  Andrew Miano and Weitz are producing through their company Depth of Field along with Zemeckis’s Imagemovers. Tom Hanks is playing Geppetto, while Luke Evans is playing The Coachman.

Cynthia Erivo most recently starred in “Widows” and “Harriet.” On the TV side, she most recently starred in “The Outsider” for HBO.

She will next star in the TV series “Genius,” in which she stars as Aretha Franklin. On Tuesday, it was announced that Erivo would be starring in the upcoming Apple TV+ series “Roar.” Her other credits include 2017’s “Step,” 2018’s “Bad Times at the El Royale,”  and 2014’s “Beyond the Lights.”

She will also be releasing her debut album this summer and has a children’s book she wrote that will be coming out Sept. 28. She also recently started her own production company called Edith’s Daughter.

She is represented by UTA, Authentic Talent and Literary Management, ID Public Relations and Peikoff Mahan Law Office.

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