Previously said to be in talks for the role, Harry Styles has reportedly passed on the part of Prince Eric in Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid, Variety has confirmed.
The outlet notes that the decision made by the actor/musician was amicable and the studio is already on the lookout for others to potentially fill the role.
Halle Bailey will portray Ariel in the movie. Javier Bardem recently joined the cast that also includes Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, Ariel’s best friend who is a fish; Awkwafina as Scuttle, the seagull friend of the princess; and Melissa McCarthy, who will play the role of the vile Ursula.
RELATED: Javier Bardem in Talks for King Triton in Disney’s Little Mermaid
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 helmed 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. Miranda and Marshall also worked together on Mary Poppins Returns.
Purchase the original animated film here.
Disney’s animated The Little Mermaid made over $211 million at the box office and became a bestseller on home video, popularizing songs like “Under The Sea” and “Part of Your World.” Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s Danish fairy tale, it tells the story of a 16-year-old mermaid princess named Ariel who longs to be human.
(Photo Credit: Getty Images)
