When Harry Styles was named as the frontrunner for the role of Prince Eric in Disney’s live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid” (no, not that terrible show from last week), fans were going crazy. He seemed like the perfect fit for a role that would find him having to look super handsome and sing his heart out, which Styles is known for. Alas, that didn’t end up working out. However, Disney has found its Prince Eric, and he’s just as handsome as you’d expect, but he is not a member of One Direction.
According to Variety, Disney has signed Jonah Hauer-King to portray the love interest in the upcoming “The Little Mermaid,” from director Rob Marshall. As mentioned, Hauer-King might not be the huge name like Styles, but he is an actor with quite a few films and TV series under his belt. Most recently, he’s been seen in films like films “The Last Photograph” and “A Dog’s Way Home.” He also appeared in the acclaimed miniseries “Howards End.”
READ MORE: Harry Styles Turned Down A Role In Disney’s ‘Little Mermaid’ Live-Action Remake
Hauer-King joins the cast of “The Little Mermaid,” which already includes actors Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, Jacob Tremblay, Awkwafina, and Javier Bardem. With the addition of Prince Eric, it appears that Disney has pretty much completed the main cast for the film. And judging by the names listed, there’s a healthy mix of A-listers in the supporting cast with two relative unknowns as the leads. But then again, we’re talking about a live-action remake released by Disney, so it really doesn’t matter who stars in it, as the project will likely be a hit.
Filming of “The Little Mermaid” is expected to begin in early 2020 for a release date in 2021.
