After it was reported that Melissa McCarthy is in talks to play Ursula and Awkwafina will be Scuttle, now we finally know who’s in line to take the lead.
And as she appears to confirm reports putting her name in the frame, it seems certain that the star is Halle Bailey.
Bailey, according to Variety, had been a clear frontrunner for director Rob Marshall since he started meeting potential performers some time ago.
Now, The Little Mermaid will actually be Bailey’s first feature film role – but she’s no stranger to the public eye, or indeed to musical numbers.
She is one half of the R&B act CHLOE X HALLE, who released their debut album The Kids are Alright last year.
They shot to fame by posting YouTube covers of Beyonce – and have since opened for her on tour and starred in one of her music videos.
As far as acting is concerned, they currently star in the TV series Grown-ish, with Bailey playing Skylar.
The Little Mermaid will make the most of her music talents, as it will incorporate songs from the original 1989 animated hit and add new songs from Alan Menkin and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
CHLOE X HALLE’s Twitter account has retweeted Variety’s report – indicating it’s a done deal. She then posted “dream come true”.
In a statement, Marshall said: “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.”
The Little Mermaid is the next in an ever-lengthening line of Disney live-action remakes, which have recently included Aladdin and Dumbo.
The Lion King is up next: Donald Glover, Beyonce, James Earl-Jones and Chiwetel Ejiofor lead the cast there, with the release date set for later this month.
Also en route is Lady and the Tramp, set to release on Disney+ in November with Tessa Thompson and Justin Theroux in the cast.
Mulan is set for next March, with Cruella – an origin tale for the 101 Dalmatians villain – slated for Christmas 2020.
The Sword in the Stone, Pinocchio, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Lilo & Stitch and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs are also thought to be on the way; while demand among fans seems to be rising for Hercules.
The Little Mermaid does not currently have a release date.
Jacob Tremblay is also rumoured to be on board: he’s said to be in line to play Flounder.
