Categories: FilmNewsSlider

Disney finds its Ariel in Halle Bailey for live-action ‘The Little Mermaid’

Published by
Share
Halle Bailey
(Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)

Halle Bailey has been cast as Ariel in Disney’s upcoming live-action reimagining of The Little Mermaid. The film is directed by Rob Marshall and produced by Marshall, John DeLuca, Marc Platt and Lin-Manuel Miranda. The film will feature beloved songs from the animated classic by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, as well as new songs by Menken (music) and Miranda (lyrics). 

“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,” says Marshall. 

The casting follows the previous announcement of two-time Academy Award nominee Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids, Can You Ever Forgive Me?) as Ursula the sea witch, who offers Ariel human form in exchange for her voice, and Jacob Tremblay and Awkwafina as Flounder and Scuttle, respectively.

Production is anticipated to begin in early 2020.

Additional announcements regarding The Little Mermaid are expected in the coming weeks.

Erik Anderson

Erik Anderson is the founder/owner and Editor-in-Chief of AwardsWatch and has always loved all things Oscar, having watched the Academy Awards since he was in single digits; making lists, rankings and predictions throughout the show. This led him down the path to obsessing about awards. Much later, he found himself in film school and the film forums of GoldDerby, and then migrated over to the former Oscarwatch (now AwardsDaily), before breaking off to create AwardsWatch in 2013. He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.

Recent Posts

2024 North Texas Film Critics Association (NTFCA) Nominations

The North Texas Film Critics Association (NTFCA) have revealed their nominations for the best in… Read More

December 24, 2024

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 78 – ‘The Holiday’ (Nancy Meyers, 2006)

Welcome to Director Watch! On this AwardsWatch podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter attempt… Read More

December 23, 2024

2024 Online Association of Female Film Critics (OAFFC) Winners: ‘The Substance” Dominates

Coralie Fargeat's savagely funny and surreal body horror The Substance was the big winner at… Read More

December 23, 2024

2024 Greater Western New York Film Critics Association (GWNYFCA) Nominations

The Greater Western New York Film Critics Association (GWNYFCA) nominations for films of 2024 have… Read More

December 23, 2024

Make It a Double Feature: Make the Yuletide (Sad and) Gay with ‘All of Us Strangers’ and ‘Queer’

When it comes to forming Christmas movie watchlists, one potential pitfall is not only figuring… Read More

December 23, 2024

This website uses cookies.