Wasikowska started out on the Australian TV series "All Saints" and was a regular on HBO's psychiatry drama "In Treatment." She will soon be seen in the films "Defiance" and "Amelia."

The Hollywood Reporter said Burton and Disney chose the actress to play the heroine in the film adaptation of Lewis Carroll's children's classic "Alice in Wonderland" after an exhaustive search.

The movie is to feature live-action and performance-capture footage and will be shown in Disney Digital 3-D, the entertainment industry trade paper said.

Principal photography is slated to start in November, The Hollywood Reporter said.

Burton's other films include "Ed Wood," "Beetlejuice," "Batman," "Edward Scissorhands," "Sleepy Hollow," "Big Fish," "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "Sweeney Todd."