Emma Watson Tapped For Sofia Coppola’s ‘The Bling Ring’
Over the past decade,Sofia Coppolahas demonstrated a knack for working with talented young actresses. Whether it’s Scarlett Johansson inLost in Translation, Kirsten Dunst inThe Virgin Suicides, or Elle Fanning inSomewhere, Coppola not only knows how to pick them, but what to do with them once she has them. Now the latest star to join the club isEmma Watson, who’s signed up for one of the leads in Coppola’s ensemble pictureThe Bling Ring. More details after the jump.
Watson’s exact role inThe Bling Ringhasn’t been revealed, and Coppola hasn’t offered much in the way of plot details at this point. However, we do know that the story will be based on the real-life So Cal teen group who burglarized the homes of Paris Hilton, Rachel Bilson, Orlando Bloom, Lindsay Lohan, and other young, wealthy celebrities. (ReadVanity Fair’s reporthere.) The events have been adapted for the screen before, with Dick Clark Productions and star Jennifer Grey, but somehow I suspect Coppola’s take will be a little more polished.
Coppola’s interest in the lives of the rich and famous is nothing new, butThe Bling Ringwill approach the topic from a fresh angle. Producers, which include Coppola,Roman Coppola, andYouree Henley,describethe film as taking “a sobering view of our modern culture,” with a specific focus on celebrity culture.
If Watson wants to move on fromHarry Potter, a project with Coppola seems like a smart move indeed. Coppola’s given textured, significant roles to her young female stars in the past — no one-note girlfriend gigs here. Moreover, if Watson’s set to play a criminal, I can’t think of a better way for her to distance herself from the bookish, goody-two-shoes Hermione.
