Anne Hathawayis being eyed to star in Warner Bros.' live-actionSesame Streetmovie and the Oscar winner is in early talks to take on the role, Collider has exclusively learned.
Jonathan Krisel, the Emmy-nominated co-creator ofPortlandia, is set to direct the film, which is expected to be a musical.Shawn Levyis producing withMichael Aguilar, and Warner Bros. is co-financing the film with MGM. WB execJesse Ehrmanwill oversee the project for the studio, which developed the movie with Sesame Workshop, which holds the rights to the beloved children’s show. Levy has been working on the project since 2012, when 20th Century Fox held the rights.
Mike Rosoliopenned the first draft, whileChris Gallettawrote the most recent version, according to aVarietyreport from September. It’s unclear what the plot of the movie is, but Hathaway is circling the role of Sally, which happens to be the name of the girl who appeared on the very first episode of the show, wherein longtime residentGordon Robinsongives Sally a tour of Sesame Street and introduces her to Muppet characters such as Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch. It’s not long before fan favorites like Bert and Ernie as Cookie Monster also appear. The education series premiered in 1969 and quickly amassed millions of young fans who are now parents eager to share the show and its message with their own children.
Hathaway actually has a history with Sesame Street, as she appeared in its 2007 holiday special Elmo’s Christmas Countdown,in which she sings"I Want a Snuffleupagus for Christmas" with Big Bird and Snuffy.
Warner Bros. is keen to develop more family films outside of itsFantastic BeastsandLEGOfranchise silos, and Sesame Street is a well-known IP that certainly fits the bill. It also strikes me as a good fit for Hathaway, who has been looking to do a family film in the near-future, having recently been attached to star in a live-actionBarbiemovie when that project was at Sony.Barbiehas since moved to Warner Bros., whichpromptly attachedMargot Robbieto star. Frankly, Hathaway’s charming talents seem better suited forSesame Street, but it’ll all come down to whether the actress can make a deal. She doesn’t have one… yet.
Of course, it helps that Hathaway has a strong relationship with Warner Bros., having recently starred in its summer blockbusterOcean’s 8, as well asThe Intern,Get Smart,The Dark Knight Rises, and, technically,Interstellar. Keep in mind that MGM is co-financing theSesame Streetmovie, and Hathaway will soon be seen alongsideRebel Wilsonin the MGM comedyThe Hustle.
Hathaway won an Oscar forLes Misérablesand was nominated forRachel Getting Married. She recently wrappedDee Rees' crime dramaThe Last Thing He WantedwithBen AffleckandWillem Dafoe, and she next stars oppositeMatthew McConaughey(again) inSteven Knight’s thrillerSerenity. Hathaway also recently signed on to join the starry ensemble ofJohn Carney’s Amazon anthology seriesModern Love. She’s represented by CAA and Management 360, and a representative for the actress did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Warner Bros. had no comment.
