After a lengthy hiatus from acting to concentrate on her skyrocketing pop star career, Sabrina Carpenter is heading through the looking glass. The onetime Disney Channel sensation is headed to the big screen in a new musical inspired by Lewis Carroll‘s Alice in Wonderland. It will be Carpenter’s first leading role in a theatrical motion picture.

According to reports, Carpenter will also produce the as-yet unnamed film, which will be released by Universal Pictures. It’s set to be written and directed by Lorene Scafaria, who previously helmed and penned the features Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, The Meddler, and Hustlers. She was recently Emmy-nominated for her work on HBO‘s Succession. Producing the picture is Broadway and Hollywood veteran Marc Platt, who’s recently had great success in the big-screen musical game with Wicked and its upcoming sequel, Wicked: For Good. The project is said to be Carpenter‘s brainchild; she approached the studio with the concept last year, and continues to shepherd the project to fruition as it accumulates other creatives.

What Other Projects Has Sabrina Carpenter Acted In?

Although her 2024 album, Short n’ Sweet, and her subsequent tour have elevated her to global superstardom, Carpenter started out as a child actor. She made her screen debut in a 2011 episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and gained further prominence with a supporting role in the Disney Channel sitcom Girl Meets World. She has small roles in Horns and The Hate U Give, and subsequently starred in a number of TV and streaming original films, including a remake of Adventures in Babysitting, the Netflix romantic comedy Tall Girl and its sequel, the comedy-drama Emergency, and the dance film Work It, which she also executive produced. Recently, with her musical career taking off, she has spent less time on-screen, although she has made several appearances on Saturday Night Live, including its 50th anniversary special, and hosted her own Christmas variety special last year, A Nonsense Christmas With Sabrina Carpenter. She is also a veteran voice actor, with roles on Sofia the First and Milo Murphy’s Law.

In addition to releasing a new album this year, Man’s Best Friend, which has already spawned two hit singles, Carpenter has another hosting gig in the works. She’s set to host The Muppet Show, a new Disney+ special that’s intended as a springboard to relaunch the classic variety series.

A musical inspired by Alice in Wonderland and starring Sabrina Carpenter is in development at Universal.

via Collider