Earlier this week, news broke that Melissa McCarthy was in talks to play the nefarious Ursula in Disney’s upcoming live-action take on The Little Mermaid. And now, we have word on who’ll be playing Ariel in the movie.
Via The Hollywood Reporter, singer-turned-actress Halle Bailey has landed the role of King Triton’s rebellious daughter in this new incarnation of an old favourite.
On this news, director Rob Marshall enthused, “After an extensive search, it was abundantly clear that Halle possesses that rare combination of spirit, hearth, youth, innocence and substance – plus a glorious singing voice – all intrinsic qualities necessary to play this iconic role.”
For her part, Bailey took to Twitter:
dream come true… ??♀️? pic.twitter.com/sndjYUS6wO
— chloe x halle (@chloexhalle) July 3, 2019
To be directed by Mary Poppins Returns’ Marshall, this new take on The Little Mermaid has already brought in Lin-Manuel Miranda and Alan Menken to create a soundtrack both new and familiar.
Expect more on The Little Mermaid as we get it.
