Sofia Coppola has left the forthcoming live-action version of the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairytale The Little Mermaid, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The Bling Ring and Virgin Suicides director has departed citing creative differences. Studio Universal now faces a credibility issue, given that the project has been in development since at least 2011 and previously had Atonement’s Joe Wright attached. However, the Hollywood Reporter suggests producers — British firm Working Title is also involved — remain keen to move forward.
Tim Burton favourite Caroline Thompson, who wrote Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride, has delivered the latest script for The Little Mermaid, based on one of Andersen’s best-known stories. Disney set the standard with its popular 1989 film, and Universal might do well to move forward quickly, given its rival studio is busy putting live-action versions of all of its big animated hits into production.
Neither company owns the rights to the story, since the original tale was first published in 1837 and is long out of copyright. But Disney last month revealed plans for a Tinker Bell live-action movie, starring Reese Witherspoon, following rival studio 20th Century Fox’s announcement in November 2014 of its own film, starring Melissa McCarthy.
Andersen’s story centres on a young mermaid who gives up her life in the sea in exchange for a human soul and the love of a human prince. It has a somewhat downbeat ending, which was jettisoned by Disney in favour of a much happier denouement.
It is not known whether Universal and Coppola clashed over similar creative decisions, but a previous screenwriter on the project, The Iron Lady’s Abi Morgan, failed to get her “traditional” take featuring the original story’s “beautiful and exquisite and painful” ending to the green light stage in 2011. Coppola’s next project will be a Christmas special for Netflix, starring her Lost in Translation lead Bill Murray.
