It looks like development on Disney's The Little Mermaid live-action remake is going on smoothly.
Earlier this month, the Disney fanbase was sent into a frenzy when the Mickey Mouse House decided to cast Halle Bailey as Ariel in the live-action version of The Little Mermaid. The casting was pretty controversial – while some fans loved that Disney had chosen a black actress for the part, others were disheartened that the studio didn't decide to cast someone that looked more like the young ginger mermaid in the classic animated movie.
Now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney is closing in on The Little Mermaid's Prince Eric. The studio reportedly is in early negotiations with former One Direction band member Harry Styles. Leaving the band for a successful solo career, Styles went on to make an acting debut in Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk.
There's no knowing yet whether he might get the role, but Disney taking interest the musician-turned-actor seems to be a sign that the studio intends to keep the musical aspect of The Little Mermaid.
Despite the controversy surrounding her casting, a major reason why Bailey was chosen as Ariel was because of her vocal abilities. Right now, Ghostbusters star Mellisa McCarthy, Jacob Tremblay, as well as Awkwafina, are also in the middle of negotiations with Disney for roles in the movie.
The film is set to be directed by Rob Marshall and should begin production sometime early 2020. The movie doesn't have any release date yet, but we'll update everyone as soon as we get word.
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