Following the news that Bridesmaids star Melissa McCarthy is in talks for the role of sea witch Ursula in the upcoming live action remake of The Little Mermaid, two more stars are rumoured to have joined the cast.
Deadline has confirmed that Ocean’s Eight star Awkwafina is up for the role of Scuttle the seagull, while Jacob Tremblay from Room is tipped to play tropical fish Flounder, Ariel’s closest companion.
The choices come after producers said they wanted to cast actors who are “contemporary and compelling“.
Awkwafina stars in the upcoming fantasy adventure film Jumanji: The Next Level – the fourth instalment of the Jumanji franchise – while Tremblay will appear in Doctor Sleep, the much-anticipated sequel to The Shining.
The remake of the 1989 Disney classic will be directed by Rob Marshall, who won an Academy Award for the 2002 musical Chicago.
The original composer Alan Menken will return to work on the score, with Mary Poppins Returns star and Broadway sensation Lin-Manuel Miranda writing lyrics for the film’s original songs.
Legendary script writers David Magee and Jane Goldman are also working on the project.
The next Disney film to be given a remake is 1994’s The Lion King, which will star Donald Glover as Simba, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa, Beyoncé as Nala, and the returning James Earl Jones, who will reprise his role as Mufasa in the original film.
The film will be released on July 19.
#Peace.Love.TheLittleMermaid
