Will Rebecca Thomas Direct 'The Little Mermaid'?

Ever since I heard the news that The Little Mermaid was being made into a live-action movie, there’s been little else that I could focus my attention on. Sure, I might get distracted by an Adele album release here and a little Kardashian news there ‚ but otherwise it’s been all mermaid all the time for me. I toasted the casting news of Chloë Grace Moretz as Ariel with a bottle of champagne — and, today, when I heard that it was being rumored that Rebecca Thomas is in talks to direct The Little Mermaid , I broke out the fancy wine for another round. Because, even though it’s not guaranteed right now that Thomas definitely has the job, I am too excited to wait for the confirmation — because, based off of her past projects, she seems like the perfect person for the job.

Many of Thomas’ past projects are movies with women at their center, including Electrick Children, a film about a fundamentalist Mormon who believes she has been impregnated by listening to a cassette tape. She becomes determined to go to Las Vegas to find the “father.” Thomas wrote and directed this film about a young girl who is determined to see the world outside of her strict upbringing, and I think all of this sounds perfectly familiar. Clearly the themes that are found in The Little Mermaid — themes like family and freedom and finding your own voice — are ones that Thomas is comfortable handling, and handling well.

She also has plenty of experience directing movies that are sure to become fan favorites: For instance, she directed the adaptation of the John Green novel that is set to premiere in 2016, Looking for Alaska. This film, about a newcomer at a boarding school who falls in love with a young girl named Alaska is further proof that Thomas has what it takes to handle The Little Mermaid and the fans that will surely come with it. Also, being able to direct a movie about very passionate teenagers is a must for any director being considered for The Little Mermaid. And it seems like Thomas definitely has that skill-set under control.

So it seems to me, from her past projects, that Thomas might just be the perfect person for the job. She definitely has the right stuff to bring The Little Mermaid to life.