After months of speculation, Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid has finally found its Prince Eric – and someone pass us the popcorn already.
WATCH BELOW: Everything You Need To Know About The Live Action ‘Little Mermaid’ Cast
According to Deadline, Jonah Hauer-King will step into the royal’s polish-shined boots and it looks set to be his most talked about role to date.
The British actor is a West End regular and has starred in several BBC miniseries including Little Women and Howard’s End.
Further demonstrating his demand, Hauer-King is currently filming a new World War II drama titled World on Fire.
But bagging the coveted role was no easy feat with reports that the 24-year-old auditioned back in September alongside Krypton star Cameron Cuffe.
Harry Styles also disappointed fans across the globe when he turned the role due to a clash in schedules.
RELATED: Lady Gaga To Make Silver Screen Return In Gucci Murder Film
“I think it’s obviously going to be an amazing film,” Styles revealed in a recent interview. “But they shoot for so long and I want to tour next year, maybe. I haven’t announced that yet, but yeah, it just didn’t quite line up.”
Erm, well that’s a whole other story in itself.
Who will star in The Little Mermaid?
The live-action remake is certainly shaping up and has already enlisted some of Hollywood’s buzziest names with 19-year-old Halle Bailey taking on the lead role of Ariel.
Award-winning actress Melissa McCarthy will play Ursula while Javier Bardem, you may recognise him from Eat Pray Love, has been crowned King Triton.
Other noteworthy cast members include Room star Jacob Tremblay as the voice of Flounder, Crazy Rich Asians actress Awkwafina as Scuttle while Daveed Diggs of Hamilton fame will take on the role of Sebastian.
Why was there backlash against Halle Bailey’s role as Ariel?
When Bailey’s role was announced, hashtag #NotMyAriel kickstarted on Twitter with a number of social media user arguing that the fictional character (note: fictional) was originally Danish with red hair.
In response to the racist backlash, Disney-owned network Freeform defended the casting decision in an open letter addressed to the “Poor, Unfortunate Souls”.
“Yes. The original author of The Little Mermaid was Danish. Ariel… is a mermaid. She lives in an underwater kingdom in international waters and can legit swim wherever she wants (even though that often upsets King Triton, absolute zaddy),” the post shared on Instagram read. “But for the sake of argument, let’s say that Ariel, too, is Danish.”
“Danish mermaids can be black because Danish *people* can be black. Ariel can sneak up to the surface at any time with her pals Scuttle and the *ahem* Jamaican crab Sebastian (sorry, Flounder!) and keep that bronze base tight,” the letter continued. “Black Danish people, and this mer-folk, can also *genetically* (!!!) have red hair.”
Who will direct The Little Mermaid?
Director Rob Marshall, who gifted the world Mary Poppins Returns, will helm the project.
In order to pay respect to the original 1989 animation, the forthcoming film will reportedly incorporate the classic’s beloved songs alongside new tracks created by original composer Alan Menken.
Filming for The Little Mermaid will kickstart in 2020.
After months of speculation, Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid has finally found its Prince Eric – and someone pass us the popcorn already.
WATCH BELOW: Everything You Need To Know About The Live Action ‘Little Mermaid’ Cast
After months of speculation, Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid has finally found its Prince Eric – and someone pass us the popcorn already.
WATCH BELOW: Everything You Need To Know About The Live Action ‘Little Mermaid’ Cast
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
