Harry Stylescertainly fits the mold of a movie prince, so it should come as no surprise that he was considered for the role of Prince Eric inThe Little Mermaid. But the musician and actor declined the role, as he was looking for different types of films to add to his acting resume. ForEntertainment Weekly’s digital cover story, film directorRob Marshallopened up about his meeting with Styles, who ultimately opted to take his acting career in a different direction.
“We met with him. He was lovely. What a wonderful guy,” Marshall told EW. “But at the end of the day, he really felt like he wanted to go off and do the movies that he ended up doing, which were sort of darker.”
Those “darker” roles included the much-discussedDon’t Worry Darling, where he starred alongside Florence Pugh and Chris Pine, andMy Policeman, co-starring David Dawson and Emma Corrin.
“For a lot of young musical people like Harry, you’re trying to carve your way and you don’t wanna be seen as a singer, necessarily. That’s why he was really looking to do something not in the musical genre, to really stretch himself. It was really a fun idea to play with, but in the end, I always think things happen for a reason. I’m so happy to have two young, new people in the film.”
Related:The Little Mermaid Fan Won’t Let Go of Halle Bailey After Spotting Her at Disney World
Jonah Hauer-King Steps into Prince Eric’s Shoes
Jonah Hauer-King, best known for portraying Theodore “Laurie” Laurence on PBS’sLittle Women, was ultimately cast in the role of Prince Eric. Discussing Hauer-King’s casting, Marshall said the British actor possesses a “sweetness” and “deep passion” that aligns with Prince Eric’s persona. The film stars Grammy-nominated Halle Bailey as Ariel, who also seemed to immediately like Hauer-King, who recalled Bailey’s kindness during the auditioning process. “I didn’t take her being kind to me as any indication. I just assumed she was a lovely person and would’ve done that for anyone,” he told EW.
The anticipated live-action adaptation of Disney’s 1989 animated film hits theaters May 26.
“It’s a very emotional story,” Marshall said. “We were able to take the beauty of what’s there in the original film and the Hans Christian Andersen tale and really bring more depth.”
The Little Mermaidstars Halle Bailey, Hauer-King, Javier Bardem, Melissa McCarthy, Jacob Tremblay, and Noma Dumezweni, and will feature three new songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
