Halle Bailey Cast as Ariel in Disney’s Live-Action Remake of The Little Mermaid

Halle Bailey, one half of the sisterly R&B duo Chloe x Halle, has been cast as Ariel in Disney’s forthcoming The Little Mermaid remake, THR reports.

Director Rob Marshall says in a statement that “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.”

Bailey currently plays Sky Forster on Grown-ish, and is currently signed to a record deal on Beyonce’s Parkwood Entertainment label. She describes the casting as a “dream come true” in a recent tweet from the Chloe x Halle account.

dream come true… pic.twitter.com/sndjYUS6wO

— chloe x halle (@chloexhalle) July 3, 2019

The news comes shortly after reports that Jacob Tremblay, Awkwafina and Melissa McCarthy were in talks for roles in the film. Production on The Little Mermaid is expected to start in early 2020.