Halle Bailey is your Ariel!
The singer, one part of the contemporary R&B duo Chloe x Halle, has been cast to play the leading role as Ariel in the live-action adaptation of Disney's Little Mermaid. According to Entertainment Tonight, the decision came by way of director Rob Marshall, who will begin production for the underwater tale in April 2020.
"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 of Halle in a statement.
The 19-year-old musician, who made her television breakout role in Freeform's Grown-ish in 2018, is best known for being endorsed by Beyonce alongside sister Chloe after the pop star saw their cover of her track "Pretty Hurts" on YouTube. The siblings were later invited to open the European leg of Queen Bey's "Formation World Tour."
"Dream come true..." Halle tweeted of the announcement, which received tons of praise on from celebrities like Lin-Manuel Miranda, Halle Berry, and Zendaya — the latter of whom had also been rumored to play the part as well.
"Yeeeeessss!! Here for thiiiissss!!" the "Replay" musician wrote, with Berry adding: "In case you needed a reminder... Halles get it DONE. Congratulations @chloexhalleon this amazing opportunity, we can’t wait to see what you do!"
As previously reported, other actors attached to star in the movie include Awkwafina and Jacob Tremblay. The rapper will play Scuttle the Seagle in a gender-swapped casting choice from the original film, and Tremblay will voice Ariel's best friend, Flounder. Additionally, Melissa McCarthy has also been in talks to play the infamous villain Ursula.
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