Harry Styles turns down Prince Eric role in The Little Mermaid live action remake - and fans are devastated

14 August 2019, 11:15

By Mared Parry

@maredparry

The heartthrob has left thousands of fans gutted after the rumours were put to bed and he turned down the role.

Harry Styles fans have been left heartbroken after the former One Direction has turned down the opportunity to play the role of hunky Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid.

The popular Disney film's live action remake has been a topic of discussion recently, after Halle Bailey was cast as Ariel and she was subject to some unjust backlash, and Harry was a sure winner to be cast opposite the young actress.

However, according to The Wrap, some sources close to the film's production have confirmed that "Harry is a fan of the project but respectfully declined".

Fans of the singer had been campaigning for him to get the role and rumours started bubbling.

The DisInsider claimed initially that he'd signed on to star as Ariel's love interest in the new film but it's now understood that he will not be appearing in the remake.

This wouldn't be Harry's first film appearance after he was praised for his role in the 2017 film, Dunkirk.

He was also in talks to star as Elvis Presley in the upcoming biopic, directed by The Great Gatsby and Moulin Rougue's Baz Luhrmann, but it was recently confirmed that Austin Butler would play the role.

READ MORE: Austin Butler beats Harry Styles for Elvis Presley role in new biopic

A number of Disney films have been remade recently, including The Beauty and The Beast and The Lion King.

Some of The Little Mermaid's rumoured cast include Javier Bardem as Ariel's father, King Triton, and Melissa McCarthy, Jacob Tremblay and Awkwafina as Ursula, Flounder and Scuttle.

It is set to start production in January 2020 and will be released later in the year.

The remake will be directed by Rob Marshall, who's worked on Chicago, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Into The Woods and Mary Poppins Returns.