Disney has cast Halle Bailey as Ariel in the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid.
Disney’s line-up of live-action remakes of their animated hits is set to include a reimagining of The Little Mermaid, the film that launched the Disney Renaissance era that ran from the late ’80s through the ’90s. Now, Disney has cast singer and actress Halle Bailey as lead character Ariel, the rebellious daughter of King Triton who longs to explore the world beyond the sea.
The Little Mermaid remake director Rob Marshall made the following statement on Halle Bailey’s casting and why she is the perfect choice to bring Ariel to life:
“After an extensive search, it was abundantly clear that Halle possesses that rare combination of spirit, heart, youth, innocence, and substance — plus a glorious singing voice — all intrinsic qualities necessary to play this iconic role.”
Halle Bailey is known for being part of the sister R&B duo Chloe x Halle and before landing the role of Ariel, her screen credits included Freeform’s Yara Shahidi series Grown-ish. Disney is expecting to begin production on The Little Mermaid remake in early 2020.
Disney’s original The Little Mermaid centered on the princess Ariel, who longed to explore the world beyond the sea. After saving Prince Eric from drowning, Ariel turns to the sea witch Ursula and trades in her voice in order to become a human for the chance to meet the man she rescued.
Disney’s The Little Mermaid remake will be directed by Rob Marshall from a script written by David Magee. Melissa McCarthy is in talks to play the villainous sea witch Ursula while Jacob Tremblay & Awkwafina are being eyed for the roles of Flounder and Scuttle, respectively.
Lin-Manuel Miranda and Alan Menken will write new songs for the remake to be included alongside the classic tunes the latter penned for the animated version of The Little Mermaid. In addition to his duties as a songwriter, Lin-Manuel Miranda will serve as an executive producer alongside Rob Marshall, Marc Platt, and John DeLuca.
Stay tuned to Heroic Hollywood for the latest news on Disney’s The Little Mermaid remake and the rest of their upcoming projects!
