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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
James Brinsford

The Little Mermaid role 'a dream come true' for Beyonce discovery Halle Bailey

Teen singer Halle Bailey will play Ariel in the live-action version of Disney's The Little Mermaid.

The 19-year-old was discovered by Beyonce in 2013, and has described playing the iconic character as a 'dream come true'.

Halle is currently in a musical duo with sister Chloe called Chloe X Halle.

Rob Marshall, who directed Mary Poppins Returns, has explained why Halle was the one who landed the coveted role.

He said: "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."

Halle Bailey has landed the role of Ariel (Getty Images for The Recording A)

The film will feature songs from the 1989 animated classic by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, as well as new songs by Menken (music) and Miranda (lyrics).

Marshall will also produce with John DeLuca, Marc Platt and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Chloe X Halle performing (Getty Images for DVF Awards)
Chloe X Halle (FilmMagic)

This will be Halle's first major role on screen, after she was a supporting character on Freeform's Grown-ish.

It is thought she will be joined in The Little Mermaid by 12-year-old Jacob Tremblay, who will play Ariel's best friend Flounder and 31-year-old Awkwafina, who will play seagull, Scuttle, appear on screen.

The past week has seen reports reveal that Melissa McCarthy is in talks to play the villain, Ursula, with production expected to being in early 2020.

It's the latest in a series of Disney live action remakes of 1990s animated favourites, including the Lion King and Aladdin.

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