The announcements of The Little Mermaid casting been rolling in this month. Halle Bailey, who is known for her work in the music group Chloe x Halle, is the world’s new Ariel. She will be joined by Awkwafina as Scuttle and Jacob Tremblay as Flounder with Melissa McCarthy expected to join as Ursula. This leaves a few major roles to be filled: King Triton, Prince Eric, Flotsam, Jetsam, and Sebastian. There are tons of casting rumors floating around including Harry Styles as Eric, and the latest bit of news features Javier Bardem. According to Deadline, the Oscar-winning actor is currently up for the role of Ariel’s father.
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The new The Little Mermaid will be directed by Rob Marshall (Chicago, Mary Poppins Returns), with a script from David Magee (Finding Neverland, Life of Pi) and Jane Goldman (Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class). The upcoming film is expected to feature original songs from the 1989 animated movie, as well as new tracks composed by Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
In addition to possibly joining The Littler Mermaid, Bardem can be seen next in the star-studded cast of Dune, which is being helmed by Denis Villeneuve, the director of Arrival and Blade Runner 2049. Bardem will be acting alongside big names such as Rebecca Ferguson, Jason Momoa, Zendaya, Timothรฉe Chalamet, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Oscar Isaac, and Stellan Skarsgรฅrd.
As for Disney, this will be another in a long line of successful live-action adaptations. While some haven’t been as profitable as expected, including films like Pete’s Dragon, Alice Through The Looking Glass, and Dumbo, most of them have earned huge numbers at the box office. That includes Cinderella ($543 million), Maleficent ($758 million), The Jungle Book ($966 million), Alice in Wonderland ($1,025 billion), and Beauty and the Beast, which sits at the top of the list with $1,263 billion.
Disney’s newest live-action adaptation, Aladdin, is still in theaters, and is the latest success for the studio, as it recently surpassed $900 million worldwide. The next film on the roster is Jon Favreau’s The Lion King, which is expected to dominate the box office. Hopes are high that The Little Mermaid will follow suit as another successful remake.
The Little Mermaid currently has no release date.
