Disney has announced that Halle Bailey is to play Ariel in the upcoming live-action remake of The Little Mermaid.
The 19-year-old confirmed the reports on her Twitter page on Wednesday night, describing the casting as a “dream come true” alongside a picture of herself reimagined as the original animated Ariel:
In an official statement, Disney said: “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.”
Although she has previously appeared in films like A Wrinkle In Time and the TV series Grown-Ish, Halle is best known for her work in the music industry, as one half of the singing duo Chloe X Halle.
The pair – made up of Halle and her sister Chloe – first rose to prominence after capturing the attention of Beyoncé, who has since gone on to become a mentor figure to them.
As well as supporting Beyoncé on both the Formation and On The Run II world tours, Chloe X Halle were nominated for their first Grammy earlier this year, receiving nods in both the Best New Artist and Best Urban Contemporary Album categories.
The Little Mermaid remake is slated to begin filming early next year, with Oscar-winning Chicago director Rob Marshall at the helm.
Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda will also serve as an executive producer, as well as co-writing new songs for the upcoming remake.
Lin-Manuel recently starred in the Mary Poppins sequel Mary Poppins Returns, as well as writing songs for Disney’s Moana.
So far, Halle is the only star confirmed for the film, although over the weekend it was reported that Melissa McCarthy is being considered for the role of the iconic villain, Ursula.
The reports received a mixed reception online, with some Little Mermaid fans even putting together a petition calling for the role to go to singer and rapper Lizzo instead.
The Little Mermaid is the latest in a series of Disney live-action remakes, with recent releases including Aladdin, Dumbo and Cinderella.
