Little Mermaid Set Photos Reveal First Look At Shipwrecked Prince Eric
New photos from the set of Disney's live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid give a first look at Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric. The iconic 1989 film is the latest in Disney's repertoire to get the live-action treatment as the studio has seen lucrative business in retooling their animated classics into blockbuster hits. Everything from Cinderella to Beauty and the Beast has received the live-action treatment, but, for the most part, those films have stuck to the familiar formula that the original films put forth.
Halle Bailey, half of the pop duo Chloe & Halle, has been cast as Ariel for The Little Mermaid. Joining her and Hauer-King are Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, the sea witch who steals Ariel's voice, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Awkwafina as Scuttle, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, and Daveed Diggs as Sebastian. The Little Mermaid is currently filming in Italy and first glimpses of Bailey as Ariel caused a stir as audiences got their first glimpse at the character in her burlap sack look.
Now, Hauer-King has been spotted on set as Prince Eric in his own iconic outfit, the tattered white shirt and trousers that the character sports after being shipwrecked early on in the film. Courtesy of Just Jared, Hauer-King can be seen accompanied by Noma Dumezweni (The Undoing), who was cast as a new character for the film. The photos show Prince Eric looking out over the ocean, possibly in search of Ariel. Check out those photos here:
This first look at Prince Eric, coupled with the set photos of Bailey, is starting to give audiences an idea of what The Little Mermaid will look like. Disney has remained faithful in their live-action adaptations and, to a certain extent, this looks no different. Fortunately, the studio also took cues from those calling for more diverse casting, starting with Bailey as Ariel. The young singer looks stunning as Ariel and although photos of her and Prince Eric have yet to be revealed, they will likely be quite the pair.
What may be most interesting of all, though, is how Disney depicts the underwater scenes in The Little Mermaid. Tremblay has already praised the design of Flounder and it seems like Disney may be going full The Lion King with this adaptation, bringing as much realism as possible into it. How that translates onscreen remains to be seen, but it certainly looks as if the real life elements of The Little Mermaid are off to a solid start if these set photos are any indication.
Source: Just Jared