OLIVIA MARNE
With most of the video games, comic books, young adult novels and graphic novels all snapped up and optioned, Hollywood now seems to be turning its attention to reworking sitcoms for the big screen.
Granted, “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” originated in the pages of a comic, but I’m guessing it’s the TV show that we know the teen witch best for. And it’s likely the thing people will be comparing this project to when its released.
Sony are bringing “Sabrina” to the big screen, with “Freaky Friday” director Mark Waters considering helming. The idea is to kick off a new film franchise, a’la all the superhero movies, with Deadline suggesting Sony are planning to go the way of Spider-Man and Batman and do an “edgy” origin story.
Scribes Andrew Barrer & Gabriel Ferrari (they wrote Die In A Gunfight for MRC) will write the script, and Real Steel producers Don Murphy and Susan Montford are producing. Mark Waters, who worked on the presentation that Sony Pictures sparked to, might direct depending on scheduling. Archie Comics’ Jon Goldwater will be executive producer and screenwriter Jeff Stockwell, who also worked on the presentation, will be co-producer.
Sabrina previously had been turned into animated tv series in 1969, 1971 and again in 1999 and the source material was turned into the Melissa Joan Hart sitcom that ran seven seasons. While the tone of the movie will be edgier, they are keeping her talking black cat Salem, who here is a transformed prince creating unique love stories for Sabrina. The project is a priority for the studio with Doug Belgrad and Hannah Minghella fast tracking the negotiations.
“We mentioned it in a meeting to Amy Pascal who chimed in “I’m the little witch girl,’” Murphy and Montford said. “From then on we knew it was the right home.” They added that the popularity of the brand should allow for the studio to discover an actress for the Sabrina role.
Okay, so it’ll probably do quite well…
