Oscar winner Javier Bardem is in talks to play Ariel's father, King Triton, in Disney's live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid, Collider has confirmed.

Halle Bailey, the young singer who represents half of the R&B duo Chloe x Halle, is set to star as Ariel, the rebellious mermaid who longs to live on dry land.

Harry Styles is in talks to play Prince Eric, as Collider first reported on Tuesday, while Melissa McCarthy is in talks to play the villainoius Ursula. Elsewhere, Jacob Tremblay and Awkwafina are nearing deals to play Ariel's friends, a guppy named Flounder and a seagull named Scuttle, respectively. Other key roles that have yet to be cast include Sebastian the crab and the key role of Ariel's mother, who make take on more weight in this movie.

harry-styles-passes-on-prince-eric-little-mermaid
Image via Disney

Rob Marshall (Mary Poppins Returns) is directing the film as well as producing alongside Marc Platt, John DeLuca and Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, who will write new songs with Alan Menken , the Oscar-winning composer behind the original 1989 animated film. Production is expected to start early next year.

Bardem won an Oscar for his chilling turn in No Country for Old Men, and yet he's no stranger to Disney movies, having played Captain Salazar in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. He's coming off of Asghar Farhadi's Everybody Knows, Darren Aronofsky's mother! and the indie movie Loving Pablo. Bardem is currently filming Denis Villeneuve's Dune. He's represented by WME, and his casting was first reported by The DisInsider.

Disney is expected to release The Little Mermaid in 2021. The studio also has a live-action Mulan movie on the horizon.

javier-bardem-little-mermaid-king-triton
Image via Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Group
javier-bardem-little-mermaid-king-triton
Image via MGM/Eon