BY ELIJAH C. WATSON • JULY 5 2019

Chloe x Halle member Halle Bailey will portray Princess Ariel in a forthcoming Little Mermaid film, according to Variety.

“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,” Rob Marshall, the film’s director, said in a statement.

The role marks Bailey’s feature film debut. She joins a cast that already includes Jacob Tremblay, Awkwafina, and Melissa McCarthy, who is in talks to portray Ursula.

Variety also notes that the live-action adaptation will use songs from the original 1989 animated film, as well as new compositions from original composer Alan Menken and Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. Miranda is also producing the film along with Marshall, Marc Platt, and John DeLuca.

In July, Disney will be releasing its live-action adaption of The Lion King. The movie maintains the plot and characters of the original 1994 animated film, but with a CGI twist.

The star-studded cast includes Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala, James Earl Jones returning as Mufasa, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa and Billy Eichner as Timon, and more voice appearances from Alfre Woodard, Eric André, and Keegan-Michael Key.

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