Harry Styles in talks to play hunky Prince Eric in Disney's Little Mermaid remake

17 July 2019, 11:30

The former One Direction frontman is being touted to star opposite Halle Bailey, who has been cast as Ariel

Harry Styles is reportedly in early talks to play Ariel's handsome love interest Prince Eric in Disney's live-action remake of The Little Mermaid.

The former One Direction star, 25, could make a splash on the big screen as the dashing, floppy-haired royal who steals the singing mermaid's heart in the much-anticipated reboot.

Harry, who made his acting debut in US box office smash Dunkirk in the summer of 2017, could be set to star opposite R&B singer Halle Bailey who has already been cast as the film's leading lady.

And although the British heartthrob's involvement is yet to be made official, fans couldn't help but go crazy over the Hollywood news and labelled him the "perfect" man for the job.

One excited Twitter user wrote: "Why should harry styles play prince eric?!? 1: he literally looks like a disney prince, 2: he can sing, 3: he can act, 4: HE’S HARRY STYLES... there are plenty of other reasons but... holy cr*p he is perfect for the role!"

Another added: "Hi twitter. I’m here taking my stance on a political issue. Harry Styles is the ONLY one who should be playing #PrinceEric and i will 𝖈𝖆𝖓𝖈𝖊𝖑 anYONE WHO DISAGREES."

"Y’all forgetting Harry already has Ariel tattooed on his arm! He was born to play," explained another eagle-eyed fan.

The news comes just weeks after he was tipped to play Elvis Presley in director Baz Luhrmann’s biopic that also stars Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker.

But with the role going to 27-year-old actor Austin Butler, it looks as though Harry's calendar is free for new and exciting projects.

Filming for the upcoming movie is expected to begin in early 2020, but we're hoping Disney will make an official announcement as to who's in the line-up soon.

Also rumoured to be joining 19-year-old Halle and tipped cast member Harry Styles is Bridesmaids actress Melissa McCarthy, who is allegedly in talks to play evil sea witch Ursula.

Child star Jacob Tremblay, who played Auggie in heartwarming blockbuster Wonder, and Awkwafina, an American actress who starred in Crazy Rich Asians, could also join the cast as Flounder and Scuttle.