Pop sensation Sabrina Carpenter is making her big-screen breakthrough as the lead in a new musical inspired by Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland", set up at Universal Pictures. The untitled project marks Carpenter's first major studio feature and will be written and directed by Lorene Scafaria, best known for "Hustlers".

Carpenter will not only star but also produce the film, alongside Marc Platt through his Universal-based Marc Platt Productions, and Leslie Morgenstein and Elysa Koplovitz Dutton via Alloy Entertainment.

The announcement follows a landmark week for the 25-year-old star, who recently scored six Grammy nominations for her hit album "Man's Best Friend" — including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year. Carpenter, who previously appeared in "Tall Girl" and "The Hate U Give", has focused largely on her booming music career in recent years. This project marks her return to acting following the success of her 2024 record "Short n' Sweet".

Sources reveal that Carpenter first pitched the idea to Universal in 2024, and as the concept evolved, Scafaria came aboard to shape it into a full-fledged musical. Scafaria's directing credits include "The Meddler" and "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World", while she has also helmed episodes of "Succession" and HBO's "I Love L A" Her next film, "Jonty", starring Jesse Plemons and Cole Escola, is in production with A24.

Interestingly, Netflix had previously acquired a musical "Alice in Wonderland" pitch from Carpenter's At Last Productions in 2020, though that version never materialised.

At Universal, Ryan Jones (Senior VP of Production Development) and Jacqueline Garell (Director of Production Development) are overseeing the project, with Katie McNicol handling production for Marc Platt Productions.

Carpenter is represented by Foundation Media Partners, Volara Management, Paradigm Talent, and Lede Company, while Scafaria is represented by UTA, Narrative, and Dern Weber.