Pop star Sabrina Carpenter is officially heading down the rabbit hole. Universal Pictures has confirmed a new movie musical inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, with Carpenter set to both star in and produce the project. The film, a passion project for the singer, will be written and directed by Lorene Scafaria, known for the film Hustlers and her work on the series Succession.
The Core Creative Team
The film brings together a notable team of Hollywood producers and creators. Alongside Sabrina Carpenter, producer Marc Platt will join through his Marc Platt Productions. Platt is the musical mastermind behind both the Broadway and film versions of Wicked. Also producing are Leslie Morgenstein and Elysa Koplovitz Dutton of Alloy Entertainment, the company behind hit teen series like Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars.
Lorene Scafaria’s involvement as writer and director is a significant sign of the film’s creative direction. Her work on Hustlers was celebrated for its sharp storytelling and strong character focus. She has also directed acclaimed episodes of HBO’s Succession and the pilot for the comedy I Love LA.
The project is being overseen for Universal by Ryan Jones, Senior VP of Production Development, and Jacqueline Garell, Director of Production Development.
A Long-Standing Passion Project
This new musical is not a sudden decision but the realization of a long-held idea for Sabrina Carpenter. Reports indicate that Carpenter first approached Universal with specific ideas for the film about a year ago. She arrived with a clear vision, including a lookbook to illustrate her concepts for the classic story.
This is not her first attempt to bring Alice in Wonderland to the screen. Back in 2020, her production company, At Last Productions, had set up a different musical adaptation of the story at Netflix. Described at the time as a “contemporary re-imagining” set at a music festival called “Wonderland,” that earlier project never moved forward. The new Universal film is a fresh start, with a new creative direction under Scafaria.
Carpenter’s personal connection to the story runs deep. In a 2021 interview, she named Alice in Wonderland her favorite movie and has been a longtime fan. This enthusiasm was evident as far back as 2015, when she celebrated her 16th birthday with a Wonderland-themed party.
Carpenter’s Return to Acting
While Sabrina Carpenter is currently one of the biggest names in pop music, she first found fame as an actor. Her upcoming role as Alice marks a major return to acting and her first time anchoring a major studio film.
Her acting career began on the Disney Channel series Girl Meets World, where she had a recurring role. She has since built a list of film credits that includes Netflix’s Tall Girl movies, 20th Century Fox’s The Hate U Give, and the indie film Emergency. Carpenter also briefly performed on Broadway in Mean Girls before the show’s run was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her commitment to the project comes at the peak of her music career. Her 2024 album Short n’ Sweet and its 2025 follow-up Man’s Best Friend were massive commercial successes. Man’s Best Friend recently earned her six Grammy nominations, including the coveted Album of the Year award.
The Wonderland Legacy and What to Expect
Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has been a source for countless adaptations since it was published in 1865. The story, which is in the public domain, follows a young girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantastical world filled with quirky, talking creatures.
The most famous adaptations are Disney’s 1951 animated classic and the live-action films directed by Tim Burton (Alice in Wonderland in 2010) and James Bobin (Alice Through the Looking Glass in 2016). The Burton film was a major box office hit, grossing over $1 billion worldwide.
Universal’s new film will be a fresh take on the original Carroll novels, not a remake of the Disney films. While specific plot details are being kept secret, it has been confirmed that the project is a musical. The involvement of Marc Platt, a producer with a proven track record in both stage and screen musicals, points to a significant and high-profile production.
Carpenter’s own history with music-driven projects and her recent Grammy acclaim suggest that the music will be a central pillar of the new film. As she told Glamour UK in 2023 about her desire to act more, “I hope I get to do more, and there are definitely plans to do so.” She added that she chooses projects she feels connected to, stating, “If I’m being pulled in one direction, I’m being pulled that way for a reason.”
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