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Emily Browning Replaces Mia Wasikowska in 'Sleeping Beauty'

by Alex Billington
February 9, 2010
Source: The Playlist

This definitely isn't Disney's Sleeping Beauty. The film is a new project from first-time filmmaker Julia Leigh, an Australian novelist making her feature debut. She originally cast up-and-comer Mia Wasikowska as the lead, but The Playlist is reporting that Emily Browning (of The Uninvited previously as well as Zack Snyder's upcoming SuckerPunch) has replaced her in the role. The film is described as "a haunting erotic fairy tale about a student who drifts into prostitution and finds her niche as a woman who sleeps, drugged, in a 'Sleeping Beauty chamber' while men do to her what she can‘t remember the next morning." Uh, whoa.

We don't know too much more about Sleeping Beauty, besides that the script was on the 2008 Black List. The concept sounds a little too wild to be a mainstream feature (kind of like The Babysitters) and it's being produced in Australia with a budget of $10 million anyway. Emily Browning is already guaranteed to break out big after SuckerPunch hits, but if that doesn't put her on the map, a risque role like this will certainly get her recognized, as long as she does a good job. I guess we'll find out eventually. I'm curious, but won't know if this is any good until it eventually pops up at a film festival. Anyone already a big fan of Browning?

Filed under Casting, Movie News

From around the web:

Sabes

She's okay. She got some huuuge lips.
People's Champ 3D

Daddy likes. Hopefully the movie will be a Hard R.
The Hornet King

She is awesome. Even back in the Lemony Snicket days, I was impressed by her. The camera likes her, and so do I. I knew she would break out before too long.
- SomeoneUKnow
  
  but not in Ghost Ship days?
DoomCanoe

she looks exactly like Snow White... but not much like Sleeping Beauty
Ali

Drugged? Sounds like a fairytale version of The Hangover. It might as well have been Zach Galifianakis in drag.
beavis

sonds like straight to late-night cinemax.
Leon

Yipee. Another feel good Australian film.
dex

Sounds very original. Im in. As for as the actress, I'd much prefer Mia she's way better than Browning.
Lincoln

AWESOME! I'm so pumped for this! I love Emily
Walker

The movie that Dollhouse was meant to be.
Linkfx

Browning has proven herself a solid actress, unfortunately or fortunately for her, she's got the Alison lohman problem of looking waaay younger than she is. I guess that's appropriate for this role. Haven't really seen Mia W in anything except for "rogue" and she only had a very small role in that. Browning is beautiful though, definitely looking forward to seeing her in more films.
d1rEct

10 Million is huge for an Australian film, but by the sound of it thats American dollars...Care to clear that up Alex? (I would be really interested in knowing what the deal is with that.
http://iconocritic.com peloquin

So this will be two hours of her getting raped while she sleeps? Not interested...
Pete

Sounds disgusting...
Cody

How could someone possibly think this story could make a good movie...some trippy beginning scenes of her in a dream drifting off to her infinite rape chamber? Then the rest would be what, the rape scenes of the different guys doing what they want to her? O yeah this definitely sounds like Oscar material here. Im no prude but this is just fucking disgusting and downright retarded in every way. Unless theres some deep psychological underlying theme to the film Im not hearing about. If I didnt know any better Id think firstshowing is now putting up stories for late night cinemax films.
theotherbluth

I hope the film focuses more on the why she got where she is, instead of the actual "jobs". I agree that would be pretty disturbing. I'll wait for a trailer before siding one way or the other.
- Breze27hunter
  
  I saw the trailer and you a lot more jobs then the actual why.
Mony

If she is drugged, doesn't that mean she is raped? or if she drugs herself, it means she is a slut. Umm No, not interested.
s

emily browning is very feminist in reality, i am sure she wouldn't choose the role unless it had a deeper meaning to it - the girl in the film probably turns to these things out of desperation, and is torn up inside because of what is happening to her. i highly doubt shes going to be some raging slut who WANTS this. some people are so naive, there are a lot of things that happen in the world that might sound "disgusting" but they do - and can't be helped, or are shoved under the radar. usually prostitutes are addicted to drugs and work for them, but they get there because of abuse and neglect. so perhaps in the film she has been working for drugs because of an addiction and overdoses and people take advantage of her and she wants to escape, but has nowhere to go $$ wise etc. i read a book with a similar concept. open your minds people.
Poopoo

Shes looks good, id hit that hard!
Mark

#7 So true.
http://www.youtube.com/user/bebyko2008 Bebyko

the best actress ever !
http://firstshowing.net shawndra19

i think emily browning is amazingly beautiful. she was superb in the uninvited. and in the brother's grimm's version of sleeping beauty, the prince rapes her while she is asleep and leaves before she wakes up. so this actually sounds very good. i am really looking forward to seeing the trailer.
Haykodarb

i hardly think this is gonna be a +18 years old movie, but i think it is for a +16 cz they talk about prostitution and drugs and i hardly think that emily is gonna make a nude scene.
Emilymac

in all honesty, people need to stop being so ignorant. The film is obviously not going to be watching her getting 'raped' for two hours, thats ridiculous; plus if its prostitution, whether shes drugged or not shes agreed to it, therefore its not rape. However, the trailer cleary states the brothel Madamme as saying 'no one much breech the secrecy' so maybe she breeches it and thats where the story lies? People need to be more open minded, the juxtaposing of the fairy tale 'Sleeping Beauty' with the sinister underworld is surprisingly refreshing. I mean, look at Amanda Seyfried doing 'Little Red Riding Hood' theres a sinister spin on that yet it has people raving. Stop being so naive and actually watch the trailer, and as for it being disgusting, Saw, Hostel-many other 'disgusting' films are so widely excepted, why close your mind off to a film that has a story of prostitution. Women dont want to do it, sometimes it a must.