Sofia Coppola making her first, bonafide major studio movie with "The Little Mermaid" was certainly a tantalizing prospect, but that ended this summer, when the director exited the project over creative differences. Universal remains determined to get it up on the big screen, and instead of a director to anchor the project, they’ve found a star.
READ MORE: Sofia Coppola Exits ‘The Little Mermaid’
Variety reports that Chloe Moretz will now lead the movie based on Hans Christian Andersen‘s famous fairy tale. The word around the campfire is that Coppola didn’t want a star at the level of Moretz for the lead role, and it was one of the reasons she left the project. The studio, however, still wanted the actress, and they’ve now landed her. Helping to get the vision for the movie solidified is writer Richard Curtis ("Love Actually," "Bridget Jones’ Diary"), who is taking a run at the screenplay.
At this point, there is no director attached nor a release date and it looks like Working Title and Universal are taking their time before rushing into anything. Thoughts? Let us know below.
