Sabrina Carpenter Is Taking Us to Wonderland - and She's Running the Show
If you've ever wondered what Wonderland might sound like with Sabrina Carpenter (movies and tv series) at the mic, you're about to find out. Universal Pictures is developing a new Alice in Wonderland movie musical with Carpenter set to star and produce. Big swing. Big spotlight.
Writer-director Lorene Scafaria (movies and tv series) (Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, Hustlers) is steering the project. And producing alongside Carpenter are heavy hitters: Marc Platt (movies and tv series) (the Broadway and movie muscle behind Wicked and Disney's live-action Snow White (movies and tv series)), plus Leslie Morgenstein and Elysa Koplovitz Dutton of Alloy Entertainment.
Here's the heartbeat: this isn't just another assignment for Carpenter. It's personal. Sources told The Hollywood Reporter she brought the idea to Universal about a year ago. That kind of initiative usually shapes everything - tone, music, even how the world is built on screen.
Why this matters
Alice in Wonderland is public-domain sand, but it's a beach Disney's walked for decades - from the 1920s Alice Comedies shorts to the 1951 animated classic, then Tim Burton (movies and tv series)'s 2010 live-action hit and its 2016 sequel. Universal stepping in with a fresh musical take signals confidence - and a bid to own a new corner of a very familiar story.
It also fits Universal's moment. The studio is riding the musical wave with Wicked. And Carpenter, who broke out on Disney Channel's Girl Meets World before becoming a chart-topping pop star, brings a fanbase that actually buys tickets. That matters for musicals.
Who's doing what
- Star/Producer: Sabrina Carpenter
- Writer/Director: Lorene Scafaria
- Producers: Marc Platt; Leslie Morgenstein and Elysa Koplovitz Dutton (Alloy Entertainment)
What we don't know (yet)
Plot specifics, the songwriting team, and release timing haven't been announced. Those three choices will tell us everything - is this a classic-leaning musical with ornate orchestration, or a modern pop-forward score built around Carpenter's voice? Who plays the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts? And will Wonderland feel whimsical, unsettling, or a little of both?
Here's what this could mean: if Carpenter's involved from the ground floor, expect songs that feel like her - sticky hooks, clean storytelling, and a bit of wink. Pair that with Scafaria's sharp character work, and you've got potential for a musical that doesn't just look pretty, it moves.
Quick refresher
Lewis Carroll (movies and tv series)'s original stories are wild, witty, and stranger than people remember - more wordplay than teacups. If you want a taste of the source, the text is free to read via Project Gutenberg. It's a good reminder: there's room here for a version that surprises us.
Bottom line: a star with momentum, a studio betting on musicals, and a property everyone knows. If Universal lands the music team and casting right, this could be the Wonderland people actually sing on the way out of the theater. We'll update as the pieces lock in.
