The real reason Harry Styles didn't star in 'The Little Mermaid'

Disney's live-action remake of the classic animated story "The Little Mermaid" is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. Like the 1989 original, the film, which premiered on May 26, tells the story of Ariel, a beautiful young mermaid whose fascination with the human world leads her to the surface, where she falls in love with a handsome prince. . Five-time Grammy nominee Halle Bailey was cast in the lead role in 2019, while Little Women's Jonah Hauer-King was cast as Eric The role of Prince Eric. However, One Direction actor Harry Styles was almost cast as the dashing young prince, and the film's director has now revealed why things didn't work out.

Ahead of The Little Mermaid's release, director Rob Marshall revealed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that he "met" with the singer during the early casting process. "He's lovely. What a great guy," Marshall said of Styles. "But ultimately, he really felt like he wanted to go out and make the movies that he ended up making, which were kind of dark."

Marshall added that musicians like Styles often "don't want to be seen as singers on the big screen," preferring to "do things that are outside of the genre." He continued: "It's definitely an interesting idea, but at the end of the day, I always think things happen for a reason. I'm glad there are two young newcomers in the movie."

The "Don't Worry Darling" star confirmed in a 2019 interview with "The Face" that the possibility of his involvement in "The Little Mermaid" "has been discussed." However, at that time he wanted to "put the music out and focus on music for the time being." Styles added: "But everyone involved is great, so I think it's going to be great. I'm definitely going to love watching it."