Halle Bailey Photo: Freeform |
Halle Bailey is going under the sea. The ‘”Grown-ish” star and Chloe x Halle singer has been cast as Ariel in Disney’s next live-action adaptation of “The Little Mermaid,” Variety reports. The feature will be directed by Rob Marshall.
“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,” Marshall said in a statement.
The cast includes Jacob Tremblay and Awkwafina and Melissa McCarthy is being considered for the role of Ursula.
“The Little Mermaid” will feature original songs from the original animated movie along with new songs from original composer Alan Menken and “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. Miranda is also producing the film along with Marshall, Marc Platt and John DeLuca.