Harry Styles has passed on playing Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Update: According to The Wrap, Disney will need to look elsewhere for Prince Eric as Harry Styles has decided to pass on the role. Reports of Styles' casting earlier today were premature and sources have said that while the singer/actor is a fan of the project, he chose to respectfully decline. Disney is already looking at other actors and a decision should arrive before too long.

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Disney's onslaught of live-action adaptations of their animated classics continues, and one of the many in the works is THE LITTLE MERMAID. Just two weeks ago Halle Bailey (Grown-ish) signed on to play Ariel, the mermaid princess who dreams of becoming human, and now we may know who will be playing her human love, Prince Eric.

It seems that Harry Styles is currently in early negotiations to play Prince Eric, but Variety's Justin Kroll cautioned on Twitter that talks are still in the "very early" stages that that Styles "still may be on the fence." The former One Direction star made his acting debut in Christopher Nolan's DUNKIRK, and was also one of several actors up for the part of Elvis in Baz Luhrmann's upcoming biopic before Austin Butler walked away with the role. In addition to Styles and Bailey, THE LITTLE MERMAID will also star Melissa McCarthy (THE KITCHEN) as Ariel's evil aunt Ursula. There's also been talk of Jacob Tremblay (GOOD BOYS) voicing Flounder and Awkwafina (JUMANJIA: THE NEXT LEVEL) voicing Scuttle. THE LITTLE MERMAID will be directed by Rob Marshall (MARY POPPINS RETURNS) with original composer Alan Menken returning to score new tunes with lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Production on THE LITTLE MERMAID is expected to hit off April 2020.

We've already seen several of Disney's live-action adaptations this year, including Tim Burton's DUMBO and Guy Ritchie's ALADDIN, and we've got Jon Favreau's THE LION KING set to hit theaters on July 29th. Be sure to check out a review from our own Matt Rooney!