With the actress for the titular character of Disney’s The Little Mermaid remake confirmed, that leaves a gaping question. Who will play the handsome and kind Prince Eric?
Well, if you ask Disney, OneDirection’s Harry Styles could very well be. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the 25-year-old singer and actor is in “early negotiations” to play Ariel’s charming love interest. If the talks are successful, this makes him the second musician to be cast in a role.
The first artist to be cast was Halle Bailey, who will play The Little Mermaid herself, Ariel. Unlike Harry Styles and his former pop group, OneDirection, Bailey is perhaps lesser-known internationally. Alongside her sister, Chloe, Bailey sang in the duo Chloe x Halle, becoming a YouTube sensation at age 11. Her sister wasn’t much older, at only 13. After they went viral for singing a cover of Beyonce’s ‘Pretty Hurts’, Beyonce signed the duo to her label Parkwood Entertainment. Their debut album The Kids Are Alright reached 139 in the Billboard 200. Only time will tell how that experience will help her in The Little Mermaid.
While many know Styles for his pop career, he has recently made the transfer to acting. His only, but very notable, role thus far has been in 2017’s Dunkirk as Alex. The film was widely lauded by critics and Styles was praised for his performance. Daily Telegraph critic Robbie Collin praised the singer for a “bright, convicted, and unexpectedly not-at-all-jarring performance”. It will be interesting to see what Styles brings to The Little Mermaid.
Notably, the fact that both actors have singing careers dominating their resumes may work in the film’s favor. Like many Disney films from the ‘Disney Renaissance‘, The Little Mermaid is musical in nature with many iconic songs gracing its 83-minute runtime.
In other casting news for The Little Mermaid, Melissa McCarthy is also in talks to play the movie’s villainess, Ursula
