R&B Singer Halle Bailey to Star as Ariel in Live-Action Little Mermaid
(screenshot via YouTube)
Variety reported that R&B singer Halle Bailey (of Chloe x Halle) has been cast as Ariel in the Disney live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. Bailey joins a cast that, thus far, includes Jacob Tremblay as Flounder and Awkwafina as Scuttle, with Melissa McCarthy rumored to play Ursula.
The role will mark Bailey's feature film debut. She formed an R&B duo with her sister Chloe in 2015. Together, they gained notoriety for their covers of pop songs on YouTube, and released their debut album, The Kids Are Alright, on March 23, 2018.
Directed by Rob Marshall, the film will feature songs from the 1989 animated classic written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, as well as new material by Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Miranda is producing alongside Marshall, Marc Platt, and John DeLuca. The screenplay is by David Magee.
No timeline has been announced. The Little Mermaid follows Disney's reboots of Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King, which hits screens this summer.
