The Little Mermaid live action film to star Halle Bailey

Halle Bailey, 19, will take on the role of mermaid Ariel in the film which starts shooting next year. The project marks her feature film debut, following her success as an R&B artist alongside her sister Chloe.

The film will feature the original tunes created by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman as well as new songs written by Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda, and is directed by Rob Marshall (Mary Poppins Returns). The screenplay is by David Magee.

No release date has been announced, but further casting is rumoured to include Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay and Melissa McCarthy.

Bailey reacted to the news on Twitter, describing it as a "dream come true".

dream come true… pic.twitter.com/sndjYUS6wO