Ariel is finally going to be where the people are as Disney has plans to make a live-action version of the 1989 classic The Little Mermaid. After the success of Cinderella and The Jungle Book, Disney execs are in the early stages of trying to find the right producer for the job. If the $860 million made from The Jungle Book wasn’t enough to prove that audiences love remakes of their favourite movies, the teaser for Disney’s upcoming Beauty And The Beast starring Emma Watson garnered nearly 92 million views in the first 24 hours.
Disney does have some competition for this story, as there is currently a Little Mermaid film being created by Universal Pictures. Chloe Grace Moretz is playing the role of Ariel, but this version won’t have the happy ending we’re used to. This darker version will favour the original Danish Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, where the handsome prince marries the princess of a neighbouring kingdom and Ariel dies, becoming a “daughter of the air,” which requires her to do good deeds for 300 years before she can enter into the Kingdom of God.
A movie where Prince Eric and Ariel don’t end up together is an ending we don’t want to see, so we put together our dream cast to gush over until more news about the movie is released.
Ariana Grande as Ariel
Ariana Grande has already proved that she can rock bright red hair, so she doesn’t have to worry whether the colour would suit her if she was Ariel. With her soft, sweet talking voice, powerful singing and flawless looks, we’re surprised she hasn’t been offered the job yet. Grande also has the acting chops needed for this role, since she was a regular on Nickelodeon’s Victorious and guest starred in several episodes of Scream Queens. She has even already slayed “Part Of Your World.” Disney, give the girl the part already!
Sean Paul as Sebastian
There is no other voice that could play Sebastian as perfectly as Sean Paul. Since he already has a Jamaican accent, it won’t take him too much effort to play the role. Though Paul has only one acting credit, Belly in 1998 where he appeared as himself, it probably doesn’t take much to play a CGI crab. We would rather Sean Paul be himself anyway. Just imagine “Under The Sea” getting the Sean Paul treatment. The soundtrack would be fire.
Michael B. Jordan as Prince Eric
Michael B. Jordan is handsome, charming and has the acting chops to take this role to levels beyond our imagination. If Jordan was cast in this role, lots of shirtless scenes would have to be written into the movie, which we definitely wouldn’t protest. Also, Grande and Jordan would make a pretty cute couple (but just in this movie, don’t get any ideas, Grande). Picturing Jordan and Grande sitting across each other as Sean Paul sings “Kiss The Girl” is enough to make us buy a ticket right now.
Terry Crews as King Triton
Just the thought of Terry Crews shouting, “Have you completely lost your senses? He’s a human, you’re a mermaid!” is enough to cast him into this role. We’ve all heard Crews shout in just about every role he’s been in, so this wouldn’t be much different. He’s much more muscular than King Triton in the Disney film, which will also give the character the intimidating factor he needs. Crews has a long resume in television and film, which has required him to play both serious and funny characters. He can add the unique, Terry type of humour that no other actor embodies.
Viola Davis as Ursula
If you watch How To Get Away With Murder—or have even just seen a commercial—you know Viola Davis proves that she can play a conniving character better than any other actress. “Poor Unfortunate Souls” is basically a summary of Davis’ character in the show. Not only is she as smart and cunning as Ursula, she has the ability make you love and hate a character in the same breath. We may hate Ursula, but you have to admit something about her diva-esque charm makes her just a little likable.
Tika Sumpter as Vanessa
Vanessa needs to be beautiful, scheming and a great actress. Tika Sumpter is absolutely gorgeous and can probably get any man in the world, so there’s no one better to play Ursula’s human form. Sumpter portrayed the young mogul Raina Thorpe in Gossip Girl, where Chuck Bass and Nate Archibald both fell for her. If she had no problem getting those two, she’ll be big competition for Ariel. Sumpter has an innocent smile, but eyes that say, “don’t mess with me,” which is the exact allure Vanessa needs.
Eddie Huang as Chef Louis
Though Eddie Huang doesn’t have a French accent, a chef from Brooklyn would make the character much more of a bad ass. “Les Poisson” with a New York accent and hip-hop beat would probably be the highlight of the movie. Huang has yet to have his chance on the big screen, but his foodie show Huang’s World proves he can carry a show and knows way more about food than the average person. Huang battling a CGI lobster voiced by Sean Paul? This cast would be Oscar worthy.
