Disney’s ‘Little Mermaid’ Live Action Remake Finds Its Ariel With Halle Bailey
It's official: Halle Bailey has been cast as Ariel in Disney's upcoming The Little Mermaid live-action remake.
Sources told The Hollywood Reporter the Chloe x Halle member has been tapped to play the film's lead and joins a cast that includes Jacob Tremblay and Awkwafina, while Melissa McCarthy who in talks to play Ursula. The film would be a breakout role for Bailey, whose resume so far only includes appearances in the TV series Grown-ish.
“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,” director Rob Marshall told the publication on Wednesday (July 3).
Filming will reportedly begin in early 2020, however, it's unclear when the studio plans on releasing the remake. All we know for sure is that it follows two other live-action remakes released this year, Aladdin and The Lion King.
Before the casting news, there was tons of speculation regarding who would get to play the red-haired mermaid. There was a lot of talk that former Disney Channel star Zendaya might get the role, as well as Lindsay Lohan, who's been begging for someone to cast her in the live-action film for years.