A Tropic Thunder reunion may be in the cards.  Robert Downey Jr. has been trying to mount a new feature film version of Pinocchio for some time now, and most recently he had discussions with Tim Burton to possibly direct.  The film is based on an idea by Downey himself, and the actor would tackle the role of Geppetto as well as produce the pic alongside wife Susan Downey.  While on the Iron Man 3 press circuit, the actor recently hinted that his Tropic Thunder director Ben Stiller would be a great fit for the Pinocchio director’s chair, and now it appears that discussions between the two have materialized into something a bit more concrete.  Hit the jump for more.

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Per Deadline, Stiller is in talks with Warner Bros. to direct Downey’s Pinocchio film.  Apparently the actor has changed the direction of the pic creatively from what he had previously planned with Burton, and WB is quite happy with the new take.  While Stiller is currently more known for his work in front of the camera, all signs point to that changing with this December’s The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.  Stiller stars in and directed the remake, and when the first footage premiered at CinemaCon last month, the crowd went nuts.  “Oscar potential” became the buzzword, with many comparing the fantastical aspects of Walter Mitty to the sensibilities of Forrest Gump.

A deal hasn’t materialized just yet for Stiller to take the helm of Pinocchio, but I’m quite intrigued by the idea of he and Downey teaming up once again.  Details on Downey’s specific take on the story are unknown at the moment, but it sure looks like it’s getting plenty of traction.

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Image via Disney