Pop sensation Sabrina Carpenter is set to headline a new musical film for Universal Pictures, marking her first major studio lead role and a bold new chapter in her rapidly evolving career. The project, inspired by Lewis Carroll’s classic Alice in Wonderland, will reimagine the timeless tale through a modern, musical lens, blending fantasy, humor, and emotional storytelling.
The film will be written and directed by Lorene Scafaria, the acclaimed filmmaker behind Hustlers and The Meddler, whose sharp, character-driven storytelling has earned her critical praise, including recent recognition for her work on HBO’s Succession. Carpenter will also serve as a producer through her own company, joining forces with Marc Platt Productions and Alloy Entertainment. Universal executives Ryan Jones and Jacqueline Garell are overseeing the project’s development, with Marc Platt and Katie McNicol also producing.
For Carpenter, the film represents a deeply personal passion project. According to industry insiders, she first pitched the concept to Universal in 2024, envisioning a fantastical and musically driven reinterpretation of Carroll’s story that would allow her to merge her two creative worlds: acting and music. Once Scafaria came on board, the project quickly gained momentum. The filmmaker’s reputation for balancing heartfelt emotion with wit and style is expected to give this Alice in Wonderland a distinctly contemporary feel.
The announcement follows a banner year for Carpenter, who recently earned six Grammy nominations for her critically acclaimed album Man’s Best Friend. Known for hits like Espresso, Feather, and Nonsense, the 25-year-old artist has become one of pop’s most dynamic voices, praised for her sharp lyricism, playful confidence, and genre-crossing versatility.
Before achieving global stardom in music, Carpenter built her early career as an actress. She starred in Disney Channel’s Girl Meets World and appeared in films such as The Hate U Give (2018) and Netflix’s Tall Girl (2019). This upcoming Universal musical marks a return to her acting roots, but now with the creative authority and musical influence she has cultivated as an artist.
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Interestingly, Carpenter had previously developed a similar project for Netflix in 2020, but it never moved forward. With Universal, that long-held vision is finally becoming a reality. Combining her storytelling instincts, musical artistry, and cinematic flair, Sabrina Carpenter’s Alice in Wonderland-inspired musical promises to be a dazzling reimagining — and a defining moment in her ever-expanding career.
