Cailee Spaeny Almost Starred In A Darker Version Of The Little Mermaid

As a devoted fan of both Hollywood and the enchanting world of fairy tales, I find myself utterly captivated by the journey of Cailee Spaeny. Her life story is a testament to the power of resilience, talent, and the magic that can unfold when dreams intertwine with reality.

Cailee Spaeny is swiftly gaining recognition in the Hollywood spotlight. Her impressive performance as Priscilla Presley in the biopic “Priscilla” initially caught the eyes of many film enthusiasts, and now she’s added another success to her resume with “Alien: Romulus,” which has received rave reviews and is doing exceptionally well at the box office. However, Spaeny’s path to fame was far from straightforward. In a frank conversation with Empire magazine, Spaeny disclosed that her first callback wasn’t for Priscilla but for Sofia Coppola’s adaptation of “The Little Mermaid.”

Initially apprehensive about being stereotyped in a major teen TV series like Hannah Montana at the start of her career, Spaeny found solace when Coppola, with her distinct vision for the classic story, contacted her. To Empire magazine, Spaeny disclosed:

“I received my first callback from Sofia, it was for Coppola’s The Little Mermaid project. Unfortunately, the production never took off. My audition tape was quite unusual – I played a mute mermaid in an unconventional, forward-thinking manner.”

2017 saw Sasha Spaeny trying out for Francis Ford Coppola’s period film, “The Beguiled.” This movie featured seasoned actors such as Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, Colin Farrell, and Elle Fanning. Unfortunately, the audition didn’t result in her landing a role, leaving Sasha heartbroken because she deeply respected Coppola’s directorial vision and his dedication to giving young girls a voice through his movies.

“I was deeply disappointed when I learned that Sofia, the director I admired greatly as a young girl growing up in the Bible Belt, wouldn’t be meeting me in New York. Her work represented a sense of freedom and unspoken topics for young women like myself, which resonated strongly with me on a personal level. She respected and took us seriously, something that wasn’t commonly found where I grew up. Imagine my surprise when she showed me photos of Priscilla Presley during our coffee meeting on her iPad!”

Coppola’s The Little Mermaid Was Eventually Scrapped

Sofia Coppola’s interpretation of “The Little Mermaid” aimed to be a more somber, adult-oriented version of the classic tale. In her unique style, she wanted to blend elements of fantasy with departures from the typical Disney storyline. During an interview with IndieWire, Coppola, who was associated with Universal Pictures and Working Title at that time, expressed this idea.

“The story wasn’t like the Disney version; instead, it was the real, darker fairy tale. To be honest, I found the idea of retelling a fairy tale intriguing since I’ve always been fond of them.”

As a devoted cinephile, I must confess that the ambitious underwater movie project I was involved with encountered numerous hurdles along the way. Creative disagreements and financial limitations were just a couple of these challenges. The visionary director, Coppola, yearned to capture it truly submerged, but after testing, the underwater footage didn’t meet our expectations for realism. Regrettably, this creative divergence led to Coppola’s departure from the project, and ultimately, it was scrapped altogether.

In spite of facing a hurdle in 2014, Coppola and Spaeny have both prospered in their artistic realms. Coppola subsequently directed the well-received films “On The Rocks” and “Priscilla,” while also working on another project called “Priscilla.” Meanwhile, Spaeny’s career has taken flight with her roles in Coppola’s “Priscilla” and “Civil War.” She is also poised to appear in various upcoming ventures, such as Season 2 of Netflix’s “Beef,” and the third installment of the “Knives Out” series, titled “Wake Up Dead Man,” which is scheduled for release around 2025.

2024-08-18 23:02

Coppola’s The Little Mermaid Was Eventually Scrapped

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