Disney has found its
Little Mermaid.
According to
THR, up-and-coming actress and singer Halle Bailey has landed the lead role of Ariel in director Rob Marshall's upcoming live-action remake of the animated classic. Also set to go under the sea are
Melissa McCarthy as the villainous sea-witch Ursula, and
Jacob Tremblay and Awkwafina as Flounder and Scuttle, respectively.
Lin-Manuel Miranda, who worked with Marshall on
Mary Poppins Returns, will also work on original music for
Mermaid along with composer Alan Menken.
There were persistent rumors that
Spider-Man: Far From Home's Zendaya was Disney's top choice for Ariel, but if that was the case this report makes no mention of it.
Bailey, 19, is best known as part of R&B duo Chloe x Halle. Her only other acting credit is on Freeform's Yara Shahidi series
Grown-ish.
About The Author:
Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.