Following the news this week that Harry Styles was in talks to play Prince Eric in Disney’s new live-action Little Mermaid, it’s now been reported that Javier Bardem is also in discussions to join the new film.
Variety reports that Bardem is “in talks” to play King Triton. He is the father of Ariel, who will be played by Halle Bailey. According to reports, Melissa McCarthy is in talks to play the evil Ursula.
DISInsider was first to report that Bardem was in talks to play Triton. The site also reports that the plot of the movie will focus more on Ariel’s mother; Disney is reportedly currently looking to cast that part.
Bardem is a three-time Oscar nominee who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in No Country for Old Men. He’s worked with Disney before, having starred as Captain Salazar in Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge. He’s also known for portraying the villain, Silva, in the James Bond movie Skyfall.
The new Little Mermaid is directed by frequent Disney director Rob Marshall, who previously directed Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Into the Woods, and Mary Poppins Returns. The film will use songs from the 1989 original movie, along with new ones from Disney legend Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
It was recently reported that Awkwafina (Crazy Rich Asians) and Jacob Tremblay (Room) are in discussions to play Scuttle and Flounder, respectively. This has yet to be confirmed, however.
