Sabrina Carpenter to Star in ‘Alice in Wonderland' Movie Musical — Lorene Scafaria (‘Hustlers') Set to Direct

Pop star Sabrina Carpenter is set to star in an “Alice in Wonderland” musical for Universal Pictures. The film will be written and directed by Lorene Scafaria (“Hustlers”). While plot details remain under wraps, THR’s sources describe the film as a “passion project” for Carpenter, who reportedly pitched the idea to Universal a year ago with a “detailed lookbook.” This is very much her brainchild, which is why she’s also listed as one of the project’s producers.

The film will likely tackle, in faithful or not-so-faithful fashion, Lewis Carroll’s 19th-century classic, in which a young Alice tumbles down a rabbit hole into a surreal world with the potential for the trippiest imagery imaginable. Of course, the definitive adaptation remains Disney’s 1951 animated classic, while six decades later, Tim Burton reimagined it as a billion-dollar live-action movie starring Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter.

Before becoming a globally known pop star, Carpenter began her career primarily as an actress, with supporting roles in Disney Channel projects. This current decade, she has starred in Netflix romantic comedies such as “Tall Girl” and “Work It.” Her most recent credits include “Emergency,” a dark comedy that premiered at Sundance, and “Thanksgiving” (not the Eli Roth film).

As for Scafaria, her last feature was “Hustlers,” which was very much a cultural moment six years ago, earning glowing reviews and puzzling Oscar buzz for Jennifer Lopez’s performance as a stripper. She’s also a two-time Emmy nominee for directing “Succession,” and a DGA Award nominee. Her other directing credits include “The Meddler” and “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World.” Most recently, she directed the pilot for Rachel Sennott and HBO’s upcoming series “I Love LA.”