Harry Styles is in talks to play opposite of Halle Bailey in The Little Mermaid live action remake as Prince Eric.
Styles is most popular for his time in the popular boyband, One Direction, and he played a minor role in Christopher Nolan’s war drama, Dunkirk. He was recently in talks to play Elvis for Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic, but was beaten out for the role by Austin Butler.
Styles would definitely be a safe choice for Disney, due to his wide popularity, especially after their controversial casting of Ariel. While many are excited about Disney bringing more diversity to their films, some are still opposed to the idea as seen in this poll.
Alan Menken is remastering his original “The Little Mermaid” score for the film and is writing a song with Moana composer, Lin-Manuel Miranda. While Prince Eric doesn’t have any songs in the original The Little Mermaid, this is big sign that will change in the remake. It would be great to see Styles and Bailey, both known for being fantastic singers, take on Alan Menken’s remastered Little Mermaid songs and new ones, too.
The Little Mermaid will be directed by Rob Marshall and is rumored to start filming in April 2020.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
