Sofia Coppola To Direct THE LITTLE MERMAID for Universal

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 3/18/14 at 1:56pm

Per Deadline.com. Love the idea, hopefully it's better than ALICE, OZ, SNOW WHITE, HANSEL & GRETL, and JACK & THE GIANT SLAYER:

Sofia Coppola is negotiating to direct The Little Mermaid, a live-action version of the classic Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale for Universal Pictures and Working Title partners Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner. Caroline Thompson of Edward Scissorhands fame is rewriting the script, about the mermaid willing to make a Faustian bargain to live on land after she falls in love. Previous drafts were done by Fifty Shades Of Grey scribe Kelly Marcel and Shame scribe Abi Morgan, and Joe Wright was at one time eyeing this to direct.

The intention is to move quickly. This is a departure for Coppola in that her projects are usually focused on adult themes. She’s got kids and it wouldn’t be shocking if she wanted to please them with a movie they can see and understand.

Deadline.com

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/18/14 at 5:27pm

I definitely see why they would have already asked the 50 Shades of Grey and Shame screenwriters to adapt this :P (I know, I know, screenwriters work on a ton of different types of projects...)

[BroadwayBenny]

Posted: 3/18/14 at 5:34pm

Blech

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 3/18/14 at 5:43pm

"hopefully it's better than ALICE, OZ, SNOW WHITE, HANSEL & GRETL, and JACK & THE GIANT SLAYER:"

On a related note, hope it's better than the execrable "Lady in the Water."

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/18/14 at 5:49pm

"The Cod-Father"

"Lost In Transformation"

"Marie Tuna-Net"

*rim shot*

[Wildcard]

Posted: 3/18/14 at 5:49pm

As long as they restore the original Little Mermaid ending, I'd be up for this. Of course, that doesn't lend itself well to sequels.

[finebydesign]

Posted: 3/18/14 at 5:55pm

Why do people get so hung up on the Little Mermaid happy ending?

[strummergirl]

Posted: 3/18/14 at 5:55pm

I wonder if she'll go for natural, minimalism for the period mood or keep an awesome alternative music soundtrack.

I find it interesting that Joe Wright wanted to corner another classic fairytale work for children. I think honestly this fits more of his and Coppola's style than Peter Pan.

I think it will be her most expensive movie but I doubt she'll be at the mercy of VFX in this. Come on, Burton, Raimi, and Singer were in deep on that kind of moviemaking for years.

Speaking of her doing this for her children, that is pretty much why Francis Ford Coppola did those S.E. Hinton YA films. Whatever you think of them as adaptations, it helped re-charge his career after One From the Heart (although he took it in the chin with The Cotton Club, I doubt Peggy Sue Got Married is made without those other two films). I quite like Sofia's whole oeuvre (Team Bling Ring, haters to the left) but I also think she kind of needs this commercially project so she does not go through these long gaps to make films. At last check, she wanted to adapt Fairyland.

Updated On: 3/18/14 at 05:55 PM

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/18/14 at 6:01pm

I was very much on the fence with Bling Ring but I also didn't quite get the hate some felt for it (but some critics seem all too happy to jump on Coppola's less successful films.) I hope this doesn't derail Fairyland--which was an amazing book and I could see at least *looking* amazing if she did it.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/18/14 at 6:02pm

Ambivilent as never saw the movie or the show.

[strummergirl]

Posted: 3/18/14 at 6:11pm

Eric, I actually think she may be doing this project to make sure she can do Fairyland.

[Jungle Red]

Posted: 3/18/14 at 7:06pm

I'm still not sure how I think about Sofia Coppola. I loved the Virgin Suicides until I read the book... then I thought, "Why make the movie at all?" since it was a page by page translation.

Speaking of, I enjoyed the script for Lost in Translation better than the movie.

Since Disney isn't involved, I think we'll get a better adaptation. It's been a while since I've read it, but I don't remember it being happy. Earnest and hopeful, but it's definitely a tragedy.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 3/18/14 at 7:27pm

I think Sofia Coppola is the big underrated filmmaker of her generation. I thought THE BLING RING was great, it's exactly the type of film that kind of story called for. I'm pretty excited about this one, but I am a fan of her work. I also think Ariel makes a lot of sense as a Coppola character.

[strummergirl]

Posted: 3/18/14 at 7:37pm

But who to cast? I sense Universal will still want a redhead for the role. Sofia's worked with Elle Fanning who is committed to Maleficent, so I think she is out despite the fact I think she would totally have worked in the role. Ugh!!!!!!!!

I'll always defend The Bling Ring. You watch Pretty Wild and consider that she was being super kind for not making the reality show central to the story's universe until, perhaps, the very end and various other liberties. Also one of the smartest, well-selected soundtracks of the last few years.

[Gorlois]

Posted: 3/18/14 at 7:42pm

Somehow I've only seen her Marie Antoinette, but I love it. Disney's "Mermaid" is one of my favorite movies, but I've always thought a live-action adaptation of the story would be very interesting, especially if it retains the darker elements of Andersen's tale-- the sea witch literally cutting out her tongue, the feet bleeding with every step she takes, and of course the ending, which ever since I was a child has been the very definition of "bittersweet" to me.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 3/18/14 at 7:55pm

I saw this comment on Jezebel and laughed out loud.

At some point it'd be really neat if Sophia Coppola decided to make a movie that wasn't all about how tough it is to be a princess.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/18/14 at 8:00pm

So glad to get Mr Roxy's insightful additions to this conversation. (Really? You don't even know the original story??)

That's a good point that this might make it easier to finance her adaptation of Fairyland (which, while I doubt it would be an extremely expensive film, would still need money to recreate the eras and locations.)

Jungle, I need to re-read Virgin Suicides (I read it before the movie) though I remember some significant differences in the film. But now I'm not sure--regardless I thought it was a beautiful adaptation (and as always with her films, has a great score--I still play the Air soundtrack quite often.)

[Jungle Red]

Posted: 3/18/14 at 10:16pm

I remember it being almost scene for scene, word for word, and being really let down. It was fantastically acted and directed, but I think adaptations should bring something different to the table.

I think it would be smarter for Universal to distance themselves from Disney as much as possible. Is she even a redhead in the original version?

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/18/14 at 10:24pm

Why do people get so hung up on the Little Mermaid happy ending?

Because it's not even remotely how the original story ends.

Would you be fine with Romeo and Juliet both living? How about Titanic, where the ship doesn't sink? Or Beauty and the Beast, where he turns back into a handsome prince and she's suddenly not interested in him anymore?

I wonder if she'll go for natural, minimalism for the period mood or keep an awesome alternative music soundtrack.

Considering two-thirds of the story takes place under water, I wonder how they're going to manage that in a live action movie without a ton of visual effects.

[strummergirl]

Posted: 3/18/14 at 10:35pm

Best- I'm talking more about in terms of sound, diegetic and non-diegetic. Her style, even when she went from period aplomb with Marie Antoinette used an anachronistic rock soundtrack. Given, as you noted, it takes place under water, I do wonder if any music is appropriate at all.

But in terms of effects, there can be tasteful, not busy-looking visual effects. But I think the issue is if the approach is realism (well... magical realism) or just plain fantastical.

[Jungle Red]

Posted: 3/18/14 at 10:41pm

We've all tried talking underwater. It doesn't work. Unless the actors are hooked up to a breathing apparatus, they'll only be able to do a few minutes of underwater scenes. Maybe a minute at the most.

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/18/14 at 10:46pm

I imagine she will stay true to her artistic instincts. I wouldn't be surprised at all if the score was modern, as you described, but I don't think a kingdom of mermaids can be done all that simply. As far as visual effects, I meant more of the overall issue of having your main characters under water for most of the story. That's a huge special effect all by itself.

Updated On: 3/19/14 at 10:46 PM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/19/14 at 4:47pm

Jungle, I need to re-read Virgin Suicides (I read it before the movie) though I remember some significant differences in the film.

I read the book shortly before the film was released and I did notice quite a few details missing, most noticeably in Dunst's character. But I thought Coppola's work was perfection. The tone of the film was spot on (I almost didn't recognize Turner) and I was most impressed with the depiction of the relationship of the sisters. After reading the book, I wasn't sure I even wanted to see a visual representation of such a dark and dreary story (especially with so much of it relying on the unspoken thoughts of the characters), but Coppola pulled off what I thought was a near-impossible feat. Not only was I impressed with the film, I could easily watch it numerous times.

I adored Lost in Translation because when it was released, I could connect with it on a very personal level. I think Coppola is at her best when simply capturing human emotion and illustrating the connections and nuances of interpersonal relationships (much like Ang Lee).

I was less taken with her more gimmicky approach to Marie Antoinette. I probably could have accepted the concept more if I felt it hadn't been horribly miscast (especially Schwartzman). The dichotomy of the present and the past might have worked if some of the actors had more classical training. Loved the story and some of the actors, but in execution, the whole thing seemed clumsy and distracting to me.

As long as she doesn't take the Spike Jonze approach a la Where the Wild Things Are, I'd be pretty excited to see what she does with Little Mermaid.

Updated On: 3/19/14 at 04:47 PM

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 3/19/14 at 4:53pm

I'm not very with it today. I thought I read Sofia Vergara to Direct The Little Mermaid at first.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 3/27/14 at 7:52pm

Her name has been thrown around in so many fairy tale films. I wonder if she'll ever do one.


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