Sofia Coppola reportedly left the director's chair of the upcoming live-action retelling of "The Little Mermaid" over "creative differences." Does this spell the end of the movie project?
Fans of the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, which had been turned into a huge animated film hit by Disney, may breathe a sigh of relief as reports said that the show, or rather the making of the live-action version, will go on.
"Universal and Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner are pressing ahead, with a Caroline Thompson rewrite on the story of the mermaid willing to make a Faustian bargain to live on land after she falls in love," Deadline reported. "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."
Considering that Coppola had helmed "Lost in Translation" and "The Bling Ring," speculations over the "creative differences" being down to disagreements with the story's treatment or direction would be valid. After all, movie adaptations of fairytales are a departure from the filmmaker's usual choice of cinematic projects. However, according to Variety, the last straw appeared to involve casting choices.
"According to insiders, the studio and Coppola clashed over who should play the lead role of Ariel," the entertainment news source said. "The 'Lost in Translation' director was said to be very high on newcomer Maya Thurman Hawke, the daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, while studio brass were wary about the pick."
This may pique pundits' curiosity over Hawke's capabilities as an actress considering that a well-received director like Coppola has significantly banked on her talent, to the point of even dropping the project should the actress not be approved by studio bigwigs.
It is worth noting that "The Little Mermaid" live-action version has remained in the works since 2011, as mentioned by The Independent. Coppola is already the second director to abandon the effort, with Joe Wright being the first one. No new director has been named yet.
With all that delay, will Universal be beaten to the finish line by Disney? The Mouse House had been busy turning its animated classics into live-action retellings in the last few years and has found box office success in doing so. And might Coppola go over to Disney should the latter decide to take on the project itself with her at the helm?
What do you think about these possibilities?
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