Tina Landau is the latest theatrical hyphenate to talk to Disney about creating a musical. According to a Sept. 1 article in Variety, director playwright Landau (Floyd Collins) is in talks with Walt Disney Theatrical Productions about writing and piloting a stage version of the animated movie classic, "Pinocchio."

The 1940 film, about the adventures of a wooden puppet who longs to be a real boy, featured such songs as "Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee (An Actor's Life for Me)," "No Strings on Me" and "When You Wish Upon a Star," sung by Pinocchio's sidekick Jiminy Cricket.

Landau is best known for having directed and co-wrote the book for Floyd Collins. She had less success with Dream True, a collaboration with Ricky Ian Gordon which debuted at the Vineyand Theatre last spring. Her play Space will have its New York debut at the Public Theater this fall.

Disney found success when it called on another multi-talented female stage director, Julie Taymor. The resulting project, The Lion King, became the most successful Broadway show in recent years.

Neither Disney's or Landau's representatives could confirm Variety's story. -- By Robert Simonson