There have been a number of casting announcements for Disney's new, live-action/CG version of The Little Mermaid, which as Mary Poppins Returns director Rob Marshall in charge of bringing it to life. He's now found the person he wants to play the title character, as singer/actress Halle Bailey has scored the role of Ariel.
Following a months-long casting trawl to find the right combo of musical chops and performance, Marshall has opted for Bailey, who is normally to be found in R&B act Chloe X Halle with her sister Chloe. She was seen relatively early in the process and stuck in the director's mind. "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," Marshall said in a statement.
David Magee wrote the current draft of the script for the film, which will update the story of the young mermaid who dreams of living above the waves when she meets a prince. She strikes a Faustian bargain to make her dreams come true. Jacob Tremblay is on to voice Flounder, her fishy best pal, while Awkwafina will be Scuttle, a seagull who is also a pal. Melissa McCarthy, meanwhile, is in talks to play Ursula, the sea witch who offers Ariel the dangerous deal.
Original composer Alan Menken has worked on some additional tunes for the movie alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda, and with the central casting complete, the question becomes when the movie will be out.