Singer and actress Halle Bailey has been cast as Ariel in the forthcoming live-action remake of The Little Mermaid.

Halle, who is best known as one half of singing sister duo Chloe x Halle, called the opportunity a “dream come true” on Twitter whilst sharing a picture of a reimagined Ariel. The casting marks a huge step forward when it comes to diversity, as Ariel was originally a white redheaded female.

The Little Mermaid will be Halle’s feature debut. She can currently be seen on Freeform’s Grown-ish along with her sister and singing partner Chloe. The duo originally rose to fame after covering Beyoncé’s ‘Pretty Hurts’. They caught the attention of the superstar which led to a record deal with her Parkwood Entertainment label.

This isn’t Halle’s first venture with Disney. Last year, Chloe x Halle’s track ‘Warrior’ featured on the soundtrack to A Wrinkle in Time.

The Little Mermaid remake will be based on a script written by David Magee. Directed by Rob Marshall, he will also produce the movie along with Marc Platt, Lin-Manuel Miranda and John DeLuca. The film’s original composer Alan Menken will return to write new music with Lin assisting with the lyrics.

Further casting will be announced shortly, although Deadline reports that Melissa McCarthy, Awkwafina, and Jacob Tremblay are in talks to join the cast.

Are you excited for the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid? Who else would you like to see cast in the movie? Let us know by leaving a comment below.