Tom Hanks could play the Dumbo villain in the upcoming Tim Burton film

On the heels of report earlier today that saw Will Smith eyeing a leading role in Tim Burton’s upcoming live-action Dumbo movie comes word, via Variety, that Tom Hanks has been offered a part as well. According to the trade, Hanks would play the central Dumbo villain. There’s no word yet, however, as to exactly what that character might be and the same report hints that a potential conflict may prevent Hanks from taking the role.

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Dumbo, released in 1941, marked Disney’s fourth full-length animated feature and told the story of a young circus elephant who, mocked for his enormous ears, discovers that he can actually use them to fly. The new film, which is planned to blend CGI and live action, will feature a screenplay by Transformers scribe Ehren Kruger.

Disney has been finding quite a bit of success lately with live action takes on their classic films. Burton’s own Alice in Wonderland took in more than a billion at the international box office with the studio’s most recent live-action adaptation, Jon Favreau’s The Jungle Book, having brought in more than $966 million. Next up is the highly-anticipated Beauty and the Beast, set to arrive in theaters March 17.

Tom Hanks, a two-time Academy Award winner, starred last year in Tom Tykwer’s A Hologram for the King, Clint Eastwood’s Sully and Ron Howard‘s Inferno. He can soon be seeing starring opposite Emma Watson in James Pondsoldt’s The Circle. Look for the Dave Eggers adaptation to hit theaters April 28.

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Would you like to see Tom Hanks as the Dumbo villain? Are you looking forward to the film? Let us know in the comments below!

(Photo Credit: C. Smith / WENN.com)