ABC Announces The Little Mermaid Live Event Starring Auli'i Cravalho, Queen Latifah and Shaggy
Auli’i Cravalho just became a double Disney princess.
The actress, who voiced Moana in the hit 2016 movie of the same name, has been cast as Ariel in a live concert production of The Little Mermaid set to air on ABC, the network announced Monday. Queen Latifah has been cast as Ursula, and Shaggy as Sebastian, with additional cast announcements to be made at a later date.
The live musical event, set to air Nov. 5 as part of “The Wonderful World of Disney” franchise honoring the 30th anniversary of the beloved movie, will “take viewers on a magical adventure under the sea as live musical performances by a star-studded cast will be interwoven into the broadcast of the original feature film,” according to ABC.
“This never-before-seen hybrid format will feature beautifully intricate sets and costumes, with music from the original animated film and the Tony Award-winning Broadway stage version,” the press release continues.
The news comes as Disney is gearing up for production of a live-action feature adaptation of the 1989 animated film, starring Halle Bailey as Ariel. Production is anticipated to begin in early 2020.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Harry Styles is in talks to play Ariel’s love interest, Prince Eric. Also rumored to costar are Awkwafina as Scuttle, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula and Javier Bardem as King Triton.
While speaking at an ABC executive session in Los Angeles on Monday, Karey Burke, ABC’s president of entertainment, said the network is not worried about the TV version overshadowing the upcoming movie due to timing and distinctive differences.
The live event, which will combine live-action, animation and puppetry, is “unlike anything that any network has done before in terms of live-action musical,” Burke said, adding that the vision is “kind of mind-blowing.”
The Wonderful World of Disney presents The Little Mermaid Live! will air Nov. 5 at 8 p.m. ET, live on ABC.
