Halle Bailey of Chloe x Halle performs onstage during the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on February 10, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.  (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Disney casts singer for live-action 'The Little Mermaid'
00:50 - Source: CNN
CNN  — 

Halle Bailey will be belting out tunes under the sea very soon.

Halle Bailey

The singer, who is one half of the musical duo, “Chloe X Halle,” has just been cast as Ariel in Disney’s upcoming live-action movie of “The Little Mermaid.”

Bailey took to Twitter to say it was a “dream come true.”

“After an extensive search, it was abundantly clear that Halle possesses that rare combination of spirit, heart, youth, innocence, and substance – plus a glorious singing voice – all intrinsic qualities necessary to play this iconic role,” director Rob Marshall said in a statement.

The film, produced by John DeLuca, Marc Platt and Lin-Manuel Miranda, will feature the iconic songs from the 1989 animated classic by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, as well as new songs by Menken and Miranda.

Melissa McCarthy has reportedly been cast as the villain, Ursula.

Shooting is expected to get underway sometime in 2020.