Over the past few years, Disney has found great success in crafting live-action adaptations of their classic animated blockbusters. Starting with projects like Maleficent and Cinderella, the House of Mouse has consistently broke the bank by making these modern remakes. Fans are eager to see what the studio does with their Little Mermaid adaptation, and which actors get confirmed as the iconic characters. Harry Styles was previously rumored to be playing Prince Eric, but now it seems that 13 Reasons Why star Christian Navarro has had his own audition for the part.
Christian Navarro is a household name in 13 Reasons Why, playing Hannah Baker's friend Tony Padilla, an openly gay man at Liberty High School. Upon hearing that Harry Styles wasn't going to be playing Prince Eric, Navarro made his intentions to play the role known on social media. And his efforts seems to have paid off, as he recently updated fans on Twitter about his Little Mermaid audition. Check it out below.
It looks like Tony Padilla might be headed under the sea. Because after expressing his interest in playing Prince Eric opposite Halle Bailey, he got the chance to film a tape and send it to the House of Mouse for consideration. Now he'll just have to wait and see if he gets to move forward in the casting process.
Christian Navarro's Tweet is sure to excite the myriad 13 Reasons Why fans out there. The dark teenage drama is massively popular among younger Netflix subscribers, allowing its stars to book new and exciting projects. Katherine Langford was the clear standout of the cast, with roles in Rian Johson's Knives Out, a new Netflix show, and a deleted scene in Avengers: Endgame. But Navarro might just follow suit with The Little Mermaid.
Since 13 Reasons Why began streaming its first season, Christian Navarro has found himself in a handful of big name projects. He had a small role in Melissa McCarthy's Can You Ever Forgive Me?, as well as the Dave Bautista-led action flick Bushwick. But possibly playing Prince Eric in Disney's live-action Little Mermaid would be a game changer for the 28 year-old actor. We'll just have to wait and se if he gets the part in Rob Marshall's developing musical blockbuster.
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Navarro mentioned his ability to sing in his original tweet to the studio, so it's likely that he had to belt out some tunes for his Little Mermaid self-tape. It turns out that he actually recorded a song based on 13 Reasons Why, focusing on his character's relationship with Hannah Baker. You can check it out below as a sample of his vocal abilities in the harmonies.
Clearly Christian Navarro is comfortable behind a mic, and is happy to advocate for himself and his possible career opportunities. His social media campaign helped him land an audition for Prince Eric. But we'll just have to wait and see how the cast list stacks up as more actors confirm their part in The Little Mermaid.
If Christian Navarro lands he role, he'd be joining a cast that has been slowly coming together over the past few months. The movie is noticeably led by singer Halle Bailey, who was the subject to some backlash when she was announced to be playing Ariel. Room's Jacob Tremblay was also confirmed to play Flounder, while Crazy Rich Asians' Awkwafina will play Scuttle. The rumored cast also includes Melissa McCarthy and Javier Bardem, but neither of those actors have been officially confirmed.
The Little Mermaid doesn't currently have a release date, as the movie is still coming together. In the meantime check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
