Imagine Sofia Coppola's quiet, arty aesthetic in a rollicking fantasy land set under the sea. It's about to happen, as the director of "Lost in Translation" and "The Bling Ring" is in negotiations to lead a live-action update of "The Little Mermaid," Deadline.com reports.
This version isn't a Disney special, however, meaning the songs that have come to define "The Little Mermaid" probably won't be featured. Adapted from Hans Christian Andersen's much darker 1837 fairy tale, the Universal Pictures/Working Title production is based on a script by Caroline Thompson ("Edward Scissorhands," "The Secret Garden") that saw original drafts by Kelly Marcel ("Saving Mr. Banks," "Fifty Shades of Grey") and Abi Morgan ("The Iron Lady," "Shame"). Coppola is stepping in for Joe Wright ("Pride & Prejudice," Atonement"), who was previously eyeing the director's chair. (Wright, meanwhile, is set to direct an update of "Peter Pan.")
There's no release date or casting notices as of yet, but Deadline.com indicates the plan for "Mermaid" is to "move quickly." Either way, don't expect any "Kiss the Girl" sing-alongs here.
This version isn't a Disney special, however, meaning the songs that have come to define "The Little Mermaid" probably won't be featured. Adapted from Hans Christian Andersen's much darker 1837 fairy tale, the Universal Pictures/Working Title production is based on a script by Caroline Thompson ("Edward Scissorhands," "The Secret Garden") that saw original drafts by Kelly Marcel ("Saving Mr. Banks," "Fifty Shades of Grey") and Abi Morgan ("The Iron Lady," "Shame"). Coppola is stepping in for Joe Wright ("Pride & Prejudice," Atonement"), who was previously eyeing the director's chair. (Wright, meanwhile, is set to direct an update of "Peter Pan.")
There's no release date or casting notices as of yet, but Deadline.com indicates the plan for "Mermaid" is to "move quickly." Either way, don't expect any "Kiss the Girl" sing-alongs here.