SALT LAKE CITY — A new report indicates Harry Styles is swimming away from “The Little Mermaid” remake.
According to TheWrap, Styles has turned down an offer from Disney to play Prince Eric in the movie. The Hollywood Reporter had previously indicated the singer-actor was in early negotiations to play the character, but it appears those plans have fallen through.
Variety also reports Disney has already started looking at other actors in order to fill the role quickly. Weirdly enough, official Twitter accounts for AMC Theaters and Regal Movies tweeted on Aug. 13 that Styles had officially been cast, according to ComicBook.com. The posts were later deleted.
Herb Scribner previously wrote for the Deseret News that actress Halle Bailey had been cast as Ariel in the remake. ComicBook.com also reported in July that Jacob Tremblay and Awkwafina had also joined the cast as Flounder and Skuttle, respectively. Melissa McCarthy is rumored to be playing Ursula.
The film will be directed by Rob Marshall (“Mary Poppins Returns”) with new music from Lin-Manuel Miranda, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
I also reported for the Deseret News that Bailey’s casting led to backlash on social media that the actress, who is African American, deviates from the character’s previous depiction as a white redhead.
Jodi Benson, the voice actress behind Ariel in the original “Little Mermaid,” defended Bailey’s casting, saying she is more than capable of representing the heart and spirit of the original movie.
“I think that the spirit of a character is what really matters. What you bring to the table in a character as far as their heart and their spirit is what really counts,” Benson said.
“The Little Mermaid” is set to begin production in 2020, but a release date has not been announced.