Mulligan on 'My Fair Lady:' "Not happening this year"

Worst Previews is reporting that the upcoming remake of the 1964 classic My Fair Lady is still in the works, but "hanging." Despite recent confirmation from Sony execs that the project was still in play, reportedly with Carey Mulligan in the lead, Mulligan revealed at the Toronto Film Festival that "I've definitely spoken about it, and I would love to do it if it happens, but it's just not happening right now...I read the script and the script is incredible. Emma Thompson wrote it. It's telling the story again, in another way and not trying to sort of copy anything and not trying to take away anything from that version of it. It's just telling it in a new era to a new generation of people."

SONY executives had previously confirmed to EW that "the studio actively continues to develop the film." Mulligan has been rumored to star as Eliza Doolittle, a role iconically portrayed on stage by Julie Andrews and on film by Audrey Hepburn.

The film will still be directed by John Madden and will feature a screenplay by Emma Thompson. My Fair Lady will be produced by Cameron Mackintosh and Duncan Kenworthy. No additional casting has been announced, though Hugh Grant is rumored to be in talks to play Henry Higgins.

The original film was a 1964 musical film adaptation of the Lerner and Loewe stage musical, My Fair Lady, based on the film adaptation of the stage play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. My Fair Lady is the story of class-conscious linguist Henry Higgins who makes a bet with his friend, Colonel Pickering, that he can transform the unrefined flower girl Eliza Doolittle into a lady simply by teaching her proper English. As her transformation takes hold, complications arise. The film was directed by George Cukor and starred Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison. My Fair Lady won eight Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director.

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