Sofia Coppola is no longer attached to helm Universal Picture’s live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid.
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Update (June 1, 2015): Coppola has reportedly dropped out of the project due to “creative differences” with Universal and Working Title, according to Deadline. However, the report says the studio is continuing to move forward with the project with a script re-write by Caroline Thompson (who wrote films like The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Addams Family, Edward Scissorhands). Watch this space!
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Original story (March 18, 2014): The talented director is reportedly in negotiations with Universal to direct the live-action tale by Christian Anderson. Coppola is best known for her incredible and award-winning film Lost in Translation, which put actress Scarlett Johansson on the map.
Deadline reports that Edward Scissorhands’ writer Caroline Thompson is rewriting the script for The Little Mermaid, which is thought to be similar to what we’ve seen recently with Snow White and the Huntsman. A live-action fairy tale adaptation outside of the popularized Disney realm.
Sofia’s most recent work was The Bling Ring, which starred Emma Watson. Rumors emerged last year that Watson was in negotiations to star as Ariel herself, but they were proven to be false. There’s no word as to who will be playing the starring roles, but with Coppola at the helm it will be an entirely different beast.
Coppola is normally an indie film director and thought of as a talented writer as well, so we’re glad Universal Studios is going in this direction as we may get something quite different than originally planned.
She has a style which can sometimes be polarizing, but it could be exactly what is needed in the retelling of the beloved fairy tale. We’re more excited now that this caliber of director will be helming the project.
Are fans of The Little Mermaid in favor of Sofia Coppola directing the live-action mermaid tale?
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