Yesterday was an emotional rollercoaster for any Harry Styles fan. The day began with headlines confirming Harry as Prince Eric in the live-action The Little Mermaid starring Halle Bailey. Then headlines changed to “in talks” for the role, though it seems incorrect sources were at play when it was revealed that Harry actually passed on being Prince Eric.
Truly shocking. I was ready to swoon over the Harry x Halle on-screen match that will now never be. At least in this movie.
Whatever his reasons may have been, it’s possible Harry is seeking more serious Oscar-bait roles. His first movie role was in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk which this video compilation shows his acting chops and is the video I forward along when people question his acting abilities. Harry was also recently up for Baz Luhrman’s Elvis Presley biopic though lost out to Austin Butler for the titular role. Despite his pursuit of serious characters, it does not stop me from thinking it’s seriously a mistake that he chose to pass on this Disney role.
With production for The Little Mermaid reportedly set to begin early 2020, time is ticking away! It’s not known what other actors are up for the Prince Eric role, but here’s a few that should be considered.
Jordan Fisher
Jordan is first on my list because to me he’s the obvious choice. He’s no stranger to the Disney audience after being in Teen Beach Movie and Liv and Maddie and has been in a couple Fox TV musicals including Grease: Live and Rent: Live. Lin-Manuel Miranda is working on music for The Little Mermaid, which there’s a Hamilton connection to Jordan as he took over the John Laurens/Philip Hamilton role after Anthony Ramos left the show. Jordan also made headlines earlier this year when it was announced he was cast as John Ambrose McClaren in the highly anticipated To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before sequel on Netflix. He can act, he can sing, he’s dreamy — he would be the perfect casting choice.
Nick Jonas
There was initially fan speculation about Nick being up for the role after he tweeted his support of Halle being cast as Ariel. While it could have just been a friendly supportive message, fans wanted it to be indicative of something more. Fandoms don’t miss anything and will analyze everything! He has plenty of acting and Broadway experience that makes him well-qualified and ready to take on this role. Nick is currently on the Jonas Brothers: Happiness Begins tour which will wrap February 2020 leaving him free to join this film. Maybe then we would get a reprise of the JoBros version of “Poor Unfortunate Souls”
Shawn Mendes
Shawn has that dashing Disney prince look going for him that could make him right for this role. There’s no denying that there’s certainly a resemblance to the animated movie character. While he’s an amazing singer and performer, he has yet to make that leap into acting. Though Shawn has stated that he wants to venture into acting and has reportedly been taking lessons. After seeing him alongside Camila Cabello in the Señorita music video, it’s easy to picture him as a romantic lead.
Zayn Malik
Maybe a different (ex-)member of One Direction could take the role. Zayn has this powerful, sultry singing voice that would pair so well with Halle’s voice. The animated movie doesn’t feature a Prince Eric song, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a possibility in this live-action version. Zayn did sing “A Whole New World” in the live-action Aladdin soundtrack so there is already a Disney connection. He has also expressed an interest in acting and enjoyed doing so when he was growing up in school. While we haven’t seen his acting chops on the big screen, this role could be major for him.
Timothée Chalamet
Okay I have to add this one given the similarities to Harry, but Timothée could also be great in this role. I’m still swooning over him in the Little Women trailer so why not add in another swoon-worthy role. While he may not be able to sing (as far as I know), it’s definitely known that Lil’ Timmy Tim can rap. In case you haven’t seen his rapping skills, enjoy that video along with this interview. Since Lin-Manuel Miranda is working on the music for this movie, he could always work in a couple Hamilton-type raps for Timothee, right?
While any of these choices would be great, if Harry did want to change his mind that would be fine by me. Who do you think should be cast as Prince Eric?
