Disney is bringing us yet another live-action adaption, this time of the beloved 1989 animation The Little Mermaid. Disney can not seem to stop itself from reaching back into the annals of its past to create content for today, with this recent adaption following in the footsteps of Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin. However, this time Disney took a little risk, and that is all down to the casting of its lead.
When Halle Bailey was cast as Ariel, bigoted people across the world lost their minds at the thought that the character of the mythical mermaid could ever be Black. There was an overnight uproar from individuals and groups over the thought that this classic fairy tale character could have dark skin, with some even going so far as to use science to explain why a fairy tale creature could not be Black, go figure.
When all is said and done though, Bailey isn’t going anywhere and will be portraying the underwater princess in the 2023 live-action. Of course, she is just one part of the picture and there are a lot more characters that make up the cast of The Little Mermaid, so let’s look at who will be diving in to portray each iconic role.
Halle Bailey — Ariel
Of course, we have to start with the titular character, Ariel. Bailey has a phenomenal voice, which is really the only thing really needed to portray the songstress Ariel, and has provided the soundtrack for films in the past such as A Wrinkle In Time as well as show off her acting chops in the show Grown-ish. She started performing at a young age alongside her sister Chloe Bailey, with the duo calling themselves Chloe x Halle. They made their fame on YouTube and then through the Disney channel before releasing their own music later on which was received with critical acclaim.
Director Rob Marshall wrote of her casting, “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.”
Jonah Hauer-King — Prince Eric
Hauer-King is a British actor with dual citizenship in both the U.K. and the U.S. The actor has gradually been building up a decent acting resume with his first feature role in Danny Huston’s The Last Photograph. Since then he has appeared in a 2017 BBC adaption of Little Women as Laurie and also in the 2019 film A Dog’s Way Home. Playing the handsome Prince Eric is probably one of the biggest roles to date for the 27-year-old actor.
Javier Bardem — King Triton
King Triton is often upheld by many as one of the more attractive father figures in the Disney pantheon and having Bardem play him was a strong decision. The Oscar-winning actor said that one of the reasons he took the role was to work with director Marshall, but he also took on the role for his children.
Speaking on SiriusXM the actor said, “When I was offered the movie, I was on a breakfast with my two kids and then I said, ‘Well, they are talking about being in The Little Mermaid,’ and my daughter got so emotional.” We are sure he can bring that paternal love with him to the role of the overly protective yet powerful king of the seas.
Melissa McCarthy — Ursula
Ursula is perhaps the most fun character in the whole film, with her song ‘Poor Unfortunate Souls’ belted out by fans in the shower, at karaoke, and to ease the tedium of long car journeys. The iconic Disney villain will be played by comedic actor McCarthy who has no trouble taking things up a notch when the role requires it so we are sure she will give it her all. All we have seen from her so far as Ursula was a rather accurate cackle in a quick three-second moment from the teaser trailer that dropped six months ago.
Jacob Tremblay — Flounder
Ariel’s fun-loving and sweet sidekick, Flounder, will be voiced by Jacob Tremblay. Tremblay already has some experience voicing a sea-dwelling creature after playing Luca in the movie of the same name. The 16-year-old started young with his first role in the 2013 film The Smurfs 2, he then gained critical acclaim in the award-winning film Room starring opposite Brie Larson, and received numerous awards for his portrayal including a Critics Choice Award for Best Young Performer.
Daveed Diggs — Sebastian
Everyone’s favorite Trinidadian (not actually Jamaican) crab will be voiced by Diggs the actor and singer that many may recognize from his work in Hamilton. The singer and actor have confirmed that the crab will retain his Caribbean accent which is a huge sigh of relief for fans of the little red know-it-all. Diggs has already worked with one of his Little Mermaid co-stars, having worked on the film Wonder alongside Tremblay.
Awkwafina — Scuttle
The role of the load and daft seagull Scuttle will be played by Awkwafina which fans were absolutely thrilled at. The actress’s raspy voice and bold presence are perfect for the eccentric seagull. We can hear her right now explaining what a dinglehopper is.
The actress has been making waves throughout Hollywood for some time now with roles in big movies such as Ocean’s Eight and Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. She has also lent her distinct voice to such animations as Raya and the Last Dragon and most recently The Bad Guys.
Lin Manuel-Miranda — Chef Louis
This role has not been confirmed yet according to IMDb but the songwriter and actor is rumored to play the over-zealous Chef Louis who is determined to see Sebastian boiled and served on a silver platter. We know that Manuel-Miranda is great at playing big characters and loves to make an appearance in the films he works on (he co-wrote new songs for the re-make) so this casting wouldn’t surprise us at all.
Noma Dumezweni — Queen Selina
As with most live-action adaptions there is a little more fleshing out to be done and in this case a handful of new characters including Dumezweni’s Queen Selina. We are fairly certain that this monarch is not in fact Ariel’s mother, as her passing is key to the story and the reason why King Triton is so overbearing towards his youngest and most inquisitive daughter. Perhaps we are looking at Eric’s mother here.
Jessica Alexander — Vanessa
The role of Ursula’s disguised, beautiful self, Vanessa, will be played by British actor Alexander. She is a great fit for the role of a spellbinding beauty given that she not only works as an actor but also as a model. The actress has also worked on projects such as the TV series Get Even and films such as Into the Deep and A Banquet.
Other castings include Kajsa Mohammar (Karina), Lorena Andrea (Perla), Simone Ashley (Indira), Martina Laird (Lashana), Art Malik (Sir Grimsby), John Dagleish (Mulligan), Jude Akuwudike (Joshua), and Emily Coates (Rosa).
It will be interesting to see this cast all come together in one of Disney’s most beloved animated classics. Let’s hope that they can do the original film justice rather than add to the fatigue that many are feeling when it comes to these live-action remakes.
