Sofia Coppola to direct a live action take on The Little Mermaid

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Director Sofia Coppola is best known for her films that focus on adult themes like adultery, parenthood, romance, and death, but her next film will be a complete genre shift for the Oscar nominated filmmaker. Coppola’s next movie will be a live action adaptation of the classic story THE LITTLE MERMAID for Universal.

The screenplay was originally written by Kelly Marcel (FIFTY SHADES OF GREY) and Abi Morgan (SHAME) and Joe Wright was once attached. He has since moved on to the Peter Pan prequel PAN. Coppola will be working with EDWARD SCISSORHANDS writer Caroline Thompson on the new draft of the story.

THE LITTLE MERMAID was most famously made into a Disney animated musical which spawned several sequels and a stage musical. It appears that, like the recent Snow White and Alice in Wonderland films, this version will not feature the cast breaking into song. What we don’t know is what the film will look like. Coppola definitely has a unique style and, love or hate her, you cannot argue that MARIE ANTOINETTE and LOST IN TRANSLATION look good on the screen. I cannot see her making something like MALEFICENT, but then again I never expected Alfonso Cuaron to direct a movie like THE LITTLE PRINCESS.

Universal is fast tracking THE LITTLE MERMAID but there is no release date yet for the fantasy film.