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.
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.
Halle Bailey was the first to audition for the beloved and coveted role of Ariel in Disney's live-action “The Little Mermaid.” After Bailey belted out the classic showstopper “Part of Your World” from the original 1989 film, director Rob Marshall and the other filmmakers knew that she was the one for the role.
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.
All About Prince Eric & His BROTHER! | Disney The Little Mermaid Analysis
Did Lizzo audition for Ursula?
Lizzo Reflects on Her 'Terrible' Audition for 'The Little Mermaid' Remake: 'I Was Down to Make Ursula a THOT' "The singing was great. I'll just say that," the singer shared of going for the role.
Leading up the movie's big release, there were rumors that Harry Styles was in talks to play the beloved Prince Eric — you know, the prince with the flute and the shaggy dog — but ultimately, he passed on the chance to be a part of Disney history.
However, according to the official novelization of Disney's story, Prince Eric is 18 years old in The Little Mermaid (via Internet Archive). The 2 year age difference between the couple in the 1989 Disney movie may be another reason for Ariel's change of age in the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid.
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.
How much did Halle Bailey get paid for The Little Mermaid?
It's believed that Bailey made about $1.5 million for her role as Ariel in The Little Mermaid, but that number could increase depending on how well the film performs opening weekend and beyond.
In the 1989 movie, Ariel was born in the fictional underwater kingdom of Atlantica, which technically makes her Atlantican, not Danish. As Ariel is half fish, she cannot be categorized by our ethnicities and races.
"When I chose Halle for the role, it was literally because she was the best person for the role," Marshall says. "It's about who claims a role, who brings a role to life in a way you could never have imagined."
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.
(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.
While it is known that her mother perished, there is no story attached to the event. However, much later, in 2008, an animated The Little Mermaid prequel revealed that Ariel's mother was crushed by a pirate ship during an altercation between humans and merpeople.
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.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs came out in 1937, debuting the very first Disney princess with Snow White herself. Voiced by Adriana Caselotti, she's incredibly of her time (i.e. dated af).
In the animated film, Ursula was a villain who enjoyed messing with people and getting what she wanted. In The Little Mermaid live-action, however, Ursula's backstory gets an adjustment — she is upgraded to Triton's sister and Ariel's aunt, making her revenge and motivations all the more sinister.
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.
The movie itself does not explicitly state Ariel's age, but Disney's production notes for the film shared by Yahoo! describe the lead character as a "spirited 18-year-old." The evidence behind Ariel being aged up two years compared to the animated movie can be seen in the live-action remake.
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.
Louis and Harry were known for having a close friendship while in the group which was founded on The X Factor, and although they may not be in as regular contact these days, Louis only has good words to say about the 'Harry's House' star.
