Harry Styles Tapped to Play Prince Eric in Live-Action Little Mermaid

Harry Styles, strong-voiced band member of One Direction and featured star of the major motion picture Dunkirk, is in early talks to portray Prince Eric in the upcoming live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Tony and Oscar nominee Rob Marshall is at the helm of the film, which recently announced Halle Bailey in the lead role of Ariel.

Should Styles be cast, it's likely that filmgoers will get to hear singing contributions from him in the role. While the original 1989 animated Little Mermaid didn't feature any songs for Prince Eric (voiced by Christopher Daniel Barnes), the 2008 Broadway musical (featuring Sean Palmer as Prince Eric) introduced a pair of solos for the role. Composer Alan Menken, who won two Oscars for his contributions to the animated film and was Tony-nominated for the stage show's new songs, is updating the score for the remake, which will feature a fresh number with lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Stars also in negotiations to appear in the live-action film include Melissa McCarthy as Ursula as well as Jacob Tremblay as Flounder and Awkwafina as Scuttle. Production is expected to begin in 2020.