XCLU: Emma Watson is Sophia Coppola's choice for lead in BLING RING
Variety is a very reliable source.
Sofia Coppola has tapped Emma Watson to star in "The Bling Ring," the true story of a group of teenagers who commit a string of celebrity burglaries.
Coppola will write and direct the pic, and will produce with brother Roman Coppola and Youree Henley. Executive producers are Fred Roos and Michael Zakin.
"I'm excited about the young cast we're assembling and I'm looking forward to shooting on location here in Los Angeles," Coppola said.
Though Watson has said she wants to dedicate more time to her studies, thesp has still found time for work, focusing more on small-budgeted projects post-"Harry Potter." She was recently seen in The Weinstein Co.'s "My Week With Marilyn" and just wrapped production on Fox Searchlight's "Perks of Being a Wallflower." She's also been tapped to star in David Yates' "Your Voice in My Head" for Warner Bros.
Coppola has made a habit of giving rising female stars material that's allowed them to break into more adult, such as Scarlett Johansson in "Lost in Translation" and, more recently, Elle Fanning in Coppola'ss last pic, "Somewhere." Watson is repped by WME and Markham, Froggatt & Irwin.
From Emma Watson Official:
We can confirm that Emma is to star in Sofia Coppola's new film "The Bling Ring".
The film is inspired by real events and follows a group of teenagers who, obsessed with fashion and fame, burgled the homes of celebrities in Los Angeles.
Emma says of the project, "I am so excited to work with Sofia Coppola. I have been an admirer of her work for many years. The script for "The Bling Ring" is fantastic and I can't wait to start filming."
Shooting begins this spring so keep watching this site for more updates!