Disney’s Live Action Little Mermaid Remake Casts Halle Bailey In The Role Of Ariel

The live-action remake of Little Mermaid is well underway, with producers announcing that the lead role of the upcoming adaption will be played by Halle Bailey.

The actor/singer is best known for being one half of R&B duo Chloe x Halle, who made a name for themselves after covering Beyonce songs on YouTube only for the superstar to watch their videos and sign them up to her Parkwood Entertainment group.

It’s being reported that Halle was always the frontrunner for the role, with director Rob Marshall releasing a statement confirming that she has all the right qualities to play Ariel.

"After an extensive search, it was abundantly clear that Halle possesses that rare combination of spirit, heart, youth, innocence and substance — plus a glorious singing voice — all intrinsic qualities necessary to play this iconic role,” he said.

The film is slated to go into production in 2020, with Jacob Tremblay voicing BFF Flounder, Awkwafina voicing seagull Scuttle, and Melissa McCarthy reportedly being in talks to fill the role of Ursula.

As for the music, the production will apparently include the old classics from the 1989 animation alongside new material penned by original composer Alan Menken and ‘Hamilton’ creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Taking to Twitter to celebrate the role of a lifetime, Halle posted a likeness of herself as the iconic mermaid, adding the caption: “Dream come true.”

Congrats Halle! We’ll now be waiting on tenterhooks to find out who will nab the role of Prince Eric.