Sofia Coppola Exits 'The Little Mermaid'

In a way, it seemed almost too good to be true. When Universal couldn't secure Joe Wright to direct their long brewing, live action take on "The Little Mermaid," they snagged Sofia Coppola. And it was a potentially promising endeavor, with Coppola making her first big studio picture, doing something unlike anything she's done before. But alas, it won't happen.

Deadline reports that Coppola has exited the movie over, you guessed it, "creative differences." The movie has had a few different pens on it so far, with Abi Morgan ("Shame") and Kelly Marcel ("Fifty Shades Of Grey") previous tackling it, and Caroline Thompson's ("Edward Scissorhands," "The Nightmare Before Christmas") rewrite looking like the one that will stick. But even with Coppola's departure, the project isn't dead, with Universal apparently pushing forward, but no word yet on who they are eyeballing for the gig.

Any...