Luke Evans believes that the Pinocchio remake will be unique

Luke Evans believes that the 'Pinocchio' remake will be unique.

The 41-year-old actor has been cast in Disney's new take on the classic tale as the conniving villain The Coachman and feels that the upcoming movie, which is being directed by Robert Zemeckis, will take the story in a different direction.

Asked why he had joined the Disney+ flick, Luke said: "It's a timeless story. It's a very old fairytale or fable, whatever you want to call it. It has very powerful messages woven into the storyline, many that I think relate to young kids and young people.

"I don't think it will be anything like any iteration of 'Pinocchio' that we've seen before. I'm truly excited to be a part of it."

Luke is looking forward to another turn as a Disney villain after starring as Gaston in the 2017 live-action remake of 'Beauty and the Beast' and is also keen to work with Tom Hanks, who will play Pinocchio's creator Geppetto in the film.

He told the website Collider: "I'm very honoured that Disney has chosen me to play another villain in the world of Disney. I'm surrounded by some very talented people, including Mr. Hanks. It's just a joy to think that I'm in the same film as that legend. I'm very excited about it. Very excited, indeed."

Luke also praised the approach Disney have taken by producing live-action remakes of their classic movies.

The 'Midway' star said: "'Pinocchio' is an Italian tale, originally. If you think about the Disney animation from 1940, it's 81-years-old. Disney is bringing it to life, and they've done such a wonderful job in their live-action remakes.

"I was in one that was extremely successful. That's a perfect example of how you can bring a story to the live-action realm and still entertain people, and they don't feel like they're watching something that they already know.

"That's the wonderful thing about bringing real actors in to play animated characters. They bring a three-dimensional performance to it."