Harry Styles in Negotiations to Play Prince Eric in Disney’s ‘Little Mermaid’ Live-Action Remake

The sea of actors for Disney’s upcoming live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid continues to expand. The latest addition to the cast roster is former One Direction band member and Dunkirk actor Harry Styles, as he is currently in negotiations to play the role of Prince Eric in the flick. Variety was first to report the news.

Styles joins Halle Bailey, who was confirmed earlier this month to give life to the mermaid princess Ariel. Meanwhile, Jacob Tremblay and Awkwafina also round out the initial cast members, with each playing Flounder and Scuttle respectively. Melissa McCarthy is also said to play the movie’s famous villain, Ariel’s evil aunt Ursula. Rob Marshall will helm the live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid, from a script written by David Magee. Similar to the 1989 animated classic, the live-action version will also incorporate hit songs that were a part of the original film. Hamilton‘s Lin Manuel Miranda will be working with the movie’s original composer, Alan Menken, for the soundtrack.

Of course, Styles is no stranger in the Hollywood sphere. His most recent acting gig was in Christopher Nolan’s Academy Award-winning period film Dunkirk, where he starred alongside Fionn Whitehead and Tom Hardy. But even before his welcome foray into the film industry, Styles made a name for himself as a former member of the UK boyband One Direction. His stint with the group skyrocketed his career into superstardom, having released five hit albums with the group and subsequently finding his own sound after leaving the band in 2016. The year after, Styles released his self-titled debut album that went on to top the charts of 14 countries. The album’s lead single, “Sign of the Times,” was a certified rock hit in the Billboard charts, even earning a spot in Rolling Stone’s year-end “50 Best Songs” list for 2017.

The Little Mermaid is the latest addition to Disney’s vast catalog of classic animated films that are getting live-action treatments since 2015’s Cinderella. 2019 already saw Dumbo, Aladdin, and The Lion King adaptations, each enjoying a healthy box office return (except for the latter, which is yet to hit theaters July 19th).

The Little Mermaid has no scheduled release date as of now.