Sabrina Carpenter to lead Universal’s musical inspired by ‘Alice in Wonderland’

Los Angeles: Pop star Sabrina Carpenter is set to headline her first major studio film with a new musical inspired by Lewis Carroll’s classic novel ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’.

‘Universal Pictures’ has greenlit the untitled project, which will be written and directed by filmmaker Lorene Scafaria, known for ‘Hustlers’ and ‘The Meddler’, reported ‘Variety’.

In addition to starring in the project, Carpenter will also produce alongside Marc Platt through his Universal-based banner, ‘Marc Platt Productions’. Leslie Morgenstein and Elysa Koplovitz Dutton will produce through ‘Alloy Entertainment’.

Carpenter previously appeared in ‘Netflix’ films such as ‘Tall Girl’ and ‘The Hate U Give’ but has been focusing on her music career in recent years. Last week, she earned six Grammy nominations for her seventh studio album ‘Man’s Best Friend’, including nods for ‘Album of the Year’, ‘Record of the Year’ and ‘Song of the Year’.

Sources close to the development told ‘Variety’ that Carpenter first brought the concept to ‘Universal’ in 2024 and Scafaria joined the project as writer and director as it took shape.

Interestingly, ‘Netflix’ had previously acquired a musical adaptation of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ from Carpenter’s ‘At Last Productions’ in 2020, but the project didn’t move forward. The 1865 novel has been a timeless source of inspiration for filmmakers, artists and musicians across generations.

The fantastical tale of a young girl’s journey through a surreal, dreamlike world populated by eccentric characters has seen multiple film and television adaptations - from Walt Disney’s beloved 1951 animated classic to Tim Burton’s 2010 live-action reimagining starring Mia Wasikowska and Johnny Depp.