One of the more highly anticipated of Disney’s live action remakes/adaptations is The Little Mermaid, and last month, it was reported that singing superstar Harry Styles was in the running to play Prince Eric. Fast-forward to earlier today, word came out that Styles had finally signed on to appear in the remake of the 1989 animated hit that kicked off the Disney Renaissance era, but it seems that is not actually the case.
According to The Wrap, Harry Styles has turned down the offer to play Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid. No specific reason was provided for why he declined to participate, though one source claimed that Styles is “a fan of the project.” Whether it was due to scheduling, creative differences or something in between, Styles and his glorious hair will reportedly not be gracing this particular Disney adaptation.
Although he’s best known for his singing career, especially when he was part of One Direction, Harry Styles jumped into the realm of acting by playing Harry in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk. He also recently screen-tested for Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming Elvis biopic to play the King of Rock and Roll himself, but it was Austin Butler who won that role.
Needless to say playing Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid would have undoubtedly been a major boost for Harry Styles’ acting endeavors, but evidently things just didn’t work out and now the creative minds behind the movie will look elsewhere to find their Eric. Considering that production is scheduled to begin early next year, we should know for sure who will be the live action Eric relatively soon. The character was voiced by Christopher Daniel Barnes in the original Little Mermaid.
So far the only actor who’s been officially cast in The Little Mermaid is Grown-ish’s Halle Bailey, who will bring Ariel to life. However, Jacob Tremblay and Awkwafina have reportedly been cast as Flounder and Scuttle, respectively, and Javier Bardem is supposedly in talks to play King Triton. It’s also been rumored that Melissa McCarthy is attached to play Ursula, although the actress has played coy about whether that is indeed the case.
Behind the camera, Rob Marshall, director of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales and Mary Poppins Returns, is helming The Little Mermaid, and David Magee, who wrote Mary Poppins Returns, penned the latest draft of the script. Kingsman co-writer Jane Goldman wrote an earlier draft.
Alan Menken, the composer of the original Little Mermaid, will also be back to handle the remake’s music and co-write new songs with Lin-Manuel Miranda, who is also a co-producer. John DeLuca and Marc Platt are also attached to produce.
The Little Mermaid doesn’t have an official release date yet, so keep checking back with CinemaBlend for that information and more updates as they roll in. For now, browse through our comprehensive guide about what other live action Disney remakes/adaptations are on the way.
You can also plan your trips to the movie theater for the rest of the year accordingly by looking through our 2019 release schedule.
