Disney wants Mark Romanek to direct new version of Cinderella

Disney has set its sights on Mark Romanek to direct their upcoming Cinderella 'reimagining'.

The studio is after the Never Let Me Go helmer for the project, which is based on the script by Aline Brosh McKenna ( The Devil Wears Prada , Morning Glory ) which was snapped up for seven figures last year.

This new version of the story apparently sees the prince set up for a "politically arranged marriage" before falling for Cinders. It's not currently clear what era this take is set in.

Romanek's tearjerking Never Let Me Go fared disappointingly at the box office, so it'll be interesting to see what he does with a more commercial project.

He previously directed eerie Robin Williams thriller One Hour Photo , and made a name for himself shooting music videos like Johnny Cash's 'Hurt' and Nine Inch Nails' 'Closer'.

Fairytales, you may have noticed, are all the rage at the moment, with Disney also prepping a Snow White reboot ( The Order Of The Seven ) to go up against rival projects Snow White And The Huntsman and Tarsem Singh's Untitled Snow White Project .

There's also the matter of Maleficent , the new take on the Sleeping Beauty villainess that once had Tim Burton attached, that's also loitering around in pre-production.

And let's not forget the Cinderella story also got a revision some years ago courtesy of Drew Barrymore vehicle Ever After

According to Deadline, Romanek is moving towards a deal. If he signs on, expect Cinderella to become a priority for the studio.

Matt Maytum
Editor, Total Film

I'm the Editor at Total Film magazine, overseeing the running of the mag, and generally obsessing over all things Nolan, Kubrick and Pixar. Over the past decade I've worked in various roles for TF online and in print, including at GamesRadar+, and you can often hear me nattering on the Inside Total Film podcast. Bucket-list-ticking career highlights have included reporting from the set of Tenet and Avengers: Infinity War, as well as covering Comic-Con, TIFF and the Sundance Film Festival.