Harry Styles in talks to play Prince Eric in Disney's Little Mermaid

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) - Harry Styles is going under the sea. The former One Direction frontman is in early negotiations to play Prince Eric in Disney's live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid.

Halle Bailey will portray the Ariel, a mermaid princess who dreams of being a human, while Melissa McCarthy is playing her evil aunt Ursula.

The Little Mermaid will be directed by Rob Marshall and written by David Magee. The upcoming film will incorporate original songs from the 1989 animated classic, as well as new tunes from original composer Alan Menken with lyrics by Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Miranda is also producing the film along with Marshall, Marc Platt and John DeLuca. Jessica Virtue and Allison Erlikhman are overseeing for the studio.

When The Little Mermaid first hit theaters almost 30 years ago, it became a huge hit and was credited with sparking a Disney renaissance. The story, about a mermaid who falls in love with a human named Eric, introduced audiences to classic tunes like 'Under the Sea,' 'Part of Your World' and 'Kiss the Girl.'

Styles' acting debut was in Christopher Nolan's 2017 war drama Dunkirk. More recently, he was one of several actors up for the Elvis biopic at Warner Bros., a part which ultimately went to Austin Butler. He is repped by CAA.