News has been swirling about the cast of the new live-action The Little Mermaid which is in the works, and now fans can officially get a first look at the new Ariel.
Disney has revealed that R&B singer Halle Bailey of Chloe x Halle will be joining the cast of The Little Mermaid as the golden-voiced mermaid turned human. “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,” the film’s director Rob Marshall said in a statement.
Singer-actress Halle Bailey – part of the R&B duo Chloe x Halle – has nabbed the starring role of Ariel in #Disney's live-action remake of #TheLittleMermaid https://t.co/jDkrGWsYft pic.twitter.com/fi6L6b9JLu
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) July 3, 2019
Bailey joins the growing cast, which already includes Jacob Tremblay and Awkwafina. Melissa McCarthy is also reportedly in talks to play the role of Ursula. This will be the first feature film role for Bailey who also stars in the Freeform series Grown-ish.
The new live action reboot will feature songs from the original animated film as well as new songs composed by Alan Menken and Hamilton sensation Lin-Manuel Miranda, who is no stranger to Disney having written Oscar-nominated songs for Moana and Mary Poppins Returns.
—Shahrzad Warkentin
Featured photo: Hollywood Reporter via Instagram
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