It’s no secret Disney has found success with its live-action remakes/adaptations lately, especially when it comes to reimagining the animation studio’s renaissance in the ‘90s. When’s it Ariel’s turn? Wouldn’t she love to break box office numbers up above? Rob Marshall’s The Little Mermaid adaptation is on the way and looks to be starting to come together with word of two of the Disney Princess’ best friends being cast.
Room’s Jacob Tremblay may play Ariel’s adorable tropical fish buddy, Flounder, and Crazy Rich Asians’ Awkwafina could be Scuttle, the eccentric seagull known for imparting wisdom of the land above to the young mermaid, known for such phrases as “dinglehopper.” The news comes from a post from journalist Kris Tapley on Twitter and has not yet been confirmed by Disney.
These two are exciting choices for the live-action Little Mermaid! Jacob Tremblay is just about the most famous 12-year-old working in Hollywood today, with recent roles in Wonder and The Predator under his belt. He’ll also soon star in The Shining sequel Doctor Sleep and the raunchy comedy Good Boys. Flounder is known to have a youthful voice and is a cute and loyal sidekick to Ariel. Tremblay can certainly do this, along with bringing more range to the role!
Awkwafina has had a whirlwind year since her scene-stealing role as Peik Lin in last summer’s hit Crazy Rich Asians. The rom-com was even in Oscar conversation! Since then, she’s been nabbing roles left and right, such as in the upcoming Jumanji sequel and in voice roles such as The Angry Birds Movie 2, Netflix’s The Dark Crystal: The Age of Resistance, and she was just cast in The Prom musical adaptation starring Meryl Streep.
The actress brought some especially hilarious moments to Crazy Rich Asians and would undoubtedly do so teaching Ariel about “snarfblats” and “thingamabobs” in the live-action adaptation. Days ago, it was also reported that Melissa McCarthy may be The Little Mermaid’s Ursula as well. Talk about a star-studded cast to go under the sea with!
The musical will be directed Rob Marshall, who recently helmed Mary Poppins Returns and feature the classic music from Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, along with additional songs from Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda, who also worked on Disney’s Moana. Mary Poppins Returns screenwriter David Magee is also writing the script, and Miranda and La La Land’s Marc Platt are both producing.
There's no word on Ariel, Prince Eric or King Triton yet, but past rumors have placed Zendaya at the center of the adaptation. While the Spider-Man actress said she hasn’t been approached, she showed her interest in taking Ariel on!
The Little Mermaid would follow the blockbuster success of live-action versions of The Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and the upcoming The Lion King, all based on highly-successful and beloved animated films from Disney’s Renaissance.
What do you think of the potential casting of Flounder and Scuttle? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
