After losing Harry Styles to the role earlier this year and searching for months for a replacement, the live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid has found its Prince Eric in up-and-comer Jonah Hauer-King (A Dog’s Way Home, Little Women), according to Variety.
Halle Bailey will portray Ariel in the movie with Javier Bardem set to play King Triton, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, Awkwafina as Scuttle, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian and Melissa McCarthy, who will play the role of the sea witch Ursula.
Mary Poppins Returns director Rob Marshall will helm the film, which features a script by David Magee (Life of Pi, Mary Poppins Returns). No stranger to musicals, or working for Disney, Marshall was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director for his feature film debut, Chicago. Since then, he’s directed the likes of Memoirs of a Geisha and Nine. Marshall has also made his last three films at Disney, including Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Into the Woods, and the Poppins sequel.
For their new version of The Little Mermaid, Disney is pairing Lin-Manuel Miranda and Alan Menken to create a blend of old and new songs that will be featured in the upcoming big screen version.
Lol. This Little Mermaid cast is quite interesting. A Black Ariel, her Spanish father, Triton; an English Prince Eric, and an American Ursula. 😀 Talk about diversity.
As usual, with all things Disney, especially their live action remakes, I can’t wait to see this.
Swears …. Monique would nail the role.
She played one of best villians ever in Precious.
Always…???
Melissa McCarthy will suck as Ursula. That role screams “Big Black Bitch Queen”. Hollywood casting choices are always such a snoozefest. Pass!
Well let’s pretend like Halle is pretty enough to play Ariel