However, the "As It Was" singer ultimately chose to not pursue the role of Prince Eric in live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. And as the film's director Rob Marshall explained, it was all due to Harry wanting to be part of another world career-wise. "We met with him. He was lovely.
After five-time Grammy-nominated singer Halle Bailey landed the lead role, all eyes turned towards Prince Eric, which was looking like it was going to go to another music icon, Harry Styles.
Why did Styles turn down Disney's live-action “The Little Mermaid” remake? According to Marshall, the reason was twofold: He wanted to take on darker films and didn't want to be in a musical as he made the jump from pop star to actor.
Caption Options. According to the director, who has helmed popular musicals like Chicago, Jonah Hauer-King ended up being the perfect person for the role of Prince Eric.
The director of Disney's The Little Mermaid, has revealed that Harry Styles turned down a role in the live-action film due to the singer seeking more “darker” movies. The 'As It Was' singer was initially approached to be cast as Prince Eric in the new remake of children's classic starring singer Halle Bailey.
He nearly marries Vanessa, but Ariel and her friends intervene, breaking Ursula's spell and restoring Ariel's voice to her. Eric realizes that Ariel is the girl he has been looking for, but before they can kiss, the sun sets and Ursula claims Ariel.
The photos are reportedly from a 2019 "Saturday Night Live" promo photoshoot that were never used. TODAY reached out to "SNL" for confirmation on this, and we will update this post if we hear back. In the pics, the "Golden" singer, 27, looks like a rock-star version of the sweet mermaid who dreamed of being human.
There was no statement by Disney as to why they made the change or where the design of this new dress came from, but it could've been a choice made to better represent her character, since the pink gown was just one that Eric's family had around the palace.
When it was announced that Halle Bailey would be taking on the role of Ariel in The Little Mermaid, there were some people a little confused and instead were under the impression that it was actually Oscar-winning actress Halle Berrywho had been cast.
Director Rob Marshall had auditioned the crème de la crème of young Hollywood for the role, and even Zendaya was rumored to have read for the part. But it was movie newcomer Bailey who won the coveted lead.
The Ursula we know (and fear) was almost not. Disney worked through several versions of “The Little Mermaid's” antagonist, from trying to cast Bea Arthur, Joan Collins and Broadway star Elaine Stritch to voice the villain to considering her form to a shark.
Which Princess does Prince Eric fall in love with?
Ariel is the youngest daughter of King Triton and Queen Athena of an underwater kingdom of merfolk called Atlantica. She is often rebellious, and in the first film, she longs to be a part of the human world. She marries Prince Eric, whom she rescued from a shipwreck, and together they have a daughter, Melody.
Ariel can't speak, having given up her voice in exchange for legs in a devious deal made with Ursula, the sea witch played by Melissa McCarthy in the remake. But Bailey's expressiveness (plus a new song that represents her internal monologue) conveys how she's feeling as she gets used to the human world.
We learn that Eric, now played by John Hauer-King, is not a prince by birth— he was adopted by the king and queen. It's suggested that Eric's biological parents died in a shipwreck. We finally meet Prince Eric's mother. In the animated film, we never meet Eric's parents.
Prince Eric is most likely Danish due to Hans Christian Andersen's appearance in the TV series. Prince Eric's original voice actor Christopher Daniel Barnes was only 16 when he recorded his voice for Eric.
It becomes obvious, even before he had discovered that she is in fact the same girl who had saved him from drowning, that Eric has fallen in love with Ariel from the moment they met on the beach.
In the animated movie, when King Triton gives Ariel back her human form, she walks right into Eric's arms. But, for the new version, Eric can be seen missing Ariel at the palace while playing with Max, and she sneaks up on him. It's such a small change, but really shows how much Eric loves Ariel as he hugs her.
Prince Eric is resistant to following in his father's footsteps as king because while it's all he's ever known since he was adopted so young, he wasn't born into the role. Instead, he wants to sail the seas and connect with people and other kingdoms, bringing them into the modern day as he explains to his mother.
“I had done a photoshoot for Disney a few years back where Annie Leibowitz shot me as Ursula,” Queen Latifah told “GMA” in an exclusive interview. “So when this popped up, it was like, OK, a TV production. Alright … Once they explained to me the way that they wanted to do it, I thought it was interesting.”
(MORE: 'Little Mermaid Live': Who will play Ariel, Ursula, Sebastian and more!) Queen Latifah stars alongside actress Auli'i Cravalho who will play Ariel and reggae singer Shaggy who will play Ariel's friend, Sebastian.
In Disney's 1989 The Little Mermaid, sea witch Ursula is a different sort of fat antagonist: witty, sarcastic, self-sufficient. With purple skin and a short silver haircut, Ursula is a rare example of a fat villain people love.
