Sabrina Carpenter is heading down the rabbit hole, and this time, she’s bringing a mic. Fresh off six Grammy nominations for her seventh studio album, Man’s Best Friend, Carpenter has signed on to star in and produce an untitled musical inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland for Universal Pictures.
The project marks Carpenter’s first time leading a major studio feature. Lorene Scafaria, the writer-director behind Hustlers and The Meddler, and an Emmy nominee for her work on Succession, will direct from her own script.
Production is being handled by Marc Platt Productions, whose upcoming Wicked: For Good bows November 21, alongside Alloy Entertainment’s Leslie Morgenstein and Elysa Koplovitz Dutton. Ryan Jones and Jacqueline Garell will oversee for Universal, with Katie McNicol managing for Marc Platt Productions.
While Alice in Wonderland has long been associated with Disney —from the 1951 animated classic to Tim Burton’s billion-dollar 2010 live-action reboot —this will be Universal’s first spin on the Carroll classic, aiming to bring a fresh musical twist to the beloved fantasy tale.
Carpenter’s acting credits include Emergency (Prime Video), The Short History of the Long Road (Sundance), Netflix’s Tall Girl films, and The Hate U Give. She’s also set to guest star in a Muppet Show special for Disney+.
The pop powerhouse’s Man’s Best Friend debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and racked up more than 180 million U.S. streams in its first week. She’s currently on the second North American leg of her Short n’ Sweet tour, which includes six nights at Crypto.com Arena in L.A. and five at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Scafaria, meanwhile, remains one of the most in-demand writer-directors in Hollywood. Beyond her acclaimed features, she’s helmed episodes of New Girl and Succession, and recently directed and executive produced the pilot of Rachel Sennott’s upcoming HBO series I Love LA. She’s also attached to direct A24’s upcoming comedy Jonty, starring Jesse Plemons and Cole Escola.
Foundation Media Partners, Volara Management, and Paradigm rep Carpenter. UTA and Dern Weber rep Scafaria.
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