Universal Developing QUEEN OF HEARTS, About Younger Version of The ALICE IN WONDERLAND Villain
As Disney prepares its Alice in Wonderland sequel Through The Looking Glass, a rival studio is also getting ready to head down the rabbit hole.
Deadline reports that Universal Pictures is developing a movie called Queen of Hearts that's based on Colleen Oakes' young adult novel. Here's the synopsis of the book:
As Princess of Wonderland Palace and the future Queen of Hearts, Dinah's days are an endless monotony of tea, tarts, and a stream of vicious humiliations at the hands of her father, the King of Hearts. The only highlight of her days is visiting Wardley, her childhood best friend, the future Knave of Hearts--and the love of her life. When an enchanting stranger arrives at the Palace, Dinah watches as everything she's ever wanted threatens to crumble. As her coronation date approaches, a series of suspicious and bloody events suggests that something sinister stirs in the whimsical halls of Wonderland. It's up to Dinah to unravel the mysteries that lurk both inside and under the Palace before she loses her own head to a clever and faceless foe. Part epic fantasy, part twisted fairy tale, this dazzling saga will have readers shivering as Dinah's furious nature sweeps Wonderland up in the maelstrom of her wrath. Familiar characters such as Cheshire, the White Rabbit, and the Mad Hatter make their appearance, enchanting readers with this new, dark take on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.But be warned...not every fairytale has a happy ending. This is the story of a princess who became a villain.
So it's yet another origin story about a well-known character. With the success of Disney's Maleficent and the Broadway mega-hit Wicked, it's no wonder Universal has its eye on trying to replicate something similar with an origin story of its own, and they probably see the fact that it has that young adult angle to it as an added bonus. Of course, the book has sequels, with a third one planned for a 2018 release. The studio has just hired Grant Pierce Myers to write the screenplay, and he has experience in the YA genre having written script for The Maze Runner, so it seems like all the pieces are coming together for this one. Grab a good director and a strong cast, and this has a chance to rise above its cliched premise.