Prince Eric and Ariel "The Little Mermaid"
photo: Getty Images; Walt Disney Studios

Disney's live-action remake of The Little Mermaid has already made huge waves by casting Halle Bailey as the first black Princess Ariel. Among the rest of the cast is Jacob Tremblay as Flounder and Awkwafina as Skuttle; plus, Ursula is rumored to be played by Melissa McCarthy. Now the film is drawing another massive response after rumors stirred around who would play Prince Eric, and apparently former One Direction star Harry Styles is a front-runner. 

Styles proved he had acting chops in the 2017 Oscar-nominated Dunkirk, directed by Christopher Nolan, so there's no question that he has what it takes to play the iconic prince. With Lin-Manuel Miranda producing the soundtrack, there's sure to be some new songs added to the mix to which Styles' dreamy voice would make a stellar addition. 

Some say the two leads would make a great on-screen match. 

Despite the somewhat significant age difference (Styles is 25 and Bailey is 19), the two would make a cute on-screen couple. 

"Okay but Halle Bailey and Harry Styles as Ariel and Eric- not gonna lie but they’d look real good together on the screen," one fan tweeted. Styles captures Prince Eric's suave personality and has his perfectly coiffed dark hair. 

The news is still unconfirmed, and Styles is most likely holding out on accepting the role after being named among the rumored Elvis biopic actors.

Justin Kroll, who reported the story for Variety, updated the news by sharing that this was still unconfirmed information. 

"Getting word now this is VERY early and Styles still may be on the fence. Stay tuned," he tweeted. In a second tweet he wrote, "Styles was the choice for awhile but there were rumblings he was expected to pass, in hopes he would get Elvis instead. Sounds like he smartly held the offer until the ELVIS decision was made and went with his next option." 

The 2017 film Dunkirk depicted the invasion of Normandy during World War II, and Styles wowed in his role as a British soldier on the beaches. 

Renowned director Christopher Nolan praised Styles and his acting abilities. He is a charismatic performer onstage and has the vocal abilities, plus dramatic and comedic timing could make him a charming Prince Eric. 

One supporter tweeted, "Harry Styles is in talks to play Prince Eric in Disney’s live action #LittleMermaid. If you’ve seen Dunkirk you’ll know he’s actually a pretty great actor."

People are begging for a part in the movie now that Styles is on board. 

The former boy band member is wildly famous and became a pop icon in the mid '00s on par with bands like the Backstreet Boys, ’Nsync, and even the Beatles. The five-member group garnered millions of fans, most of them middle and high school–aged girls that are now ready to take on that fandom once again. Even though One Direction broke up nearly three years ago, Styles has maintained his place in the spotlight with a solo career. 

One fan tweeted this clip of Prince Eric playing the flute and dancing with his sheepdog Max, and wrote, "i’m officially throwing my hat into the ring to play the role of the flute in the live action little mermaid, pending the official casting of harry styles." 

Disney could be appeasing the audience that called for a closer interpretation of the film by choosing a Prince Eric that resembles the animated version. 

One fan tweeted, "Harry Styles playing as Prince Eric is what we ALL deserve." 

Another rumored applicant is Netflix's rom-com pretty boy Noah Centineo. Some fans begged for Tom Holland or Jimin from Korean pop group BTS to be considered too. The British charm that Styles would bring to the role is another quality that would make him the best choice, though. 

Disney would be missing out on a great opportunity if Halle Bailey and Harry Styles didn't sing a song together. 

The insane vocals that these two possess is unprecedented. Bailey's pipes garnered the attention of the queen of killer vocals, Beyoncé, while Styles has managed to maintain a successful career in the music industry despite not being part of One Direction. 

Together their voices would sound like actual magic, and one fan will have nothing less. They tweeted, "If they dont give Harry Styles a song in the Little Mermaid as Prince Eric I’ll riot. I need to hear him and Halle sing together." 

The movie already has my ticket money after casting Bailey in the lead role, but Styles as Prince Eric would have me seeing it a second or third time. 

The 19-year-old songstress is ready to take on the iconic role of the Disney Princess and has received the support from fans, celebrities, and even the original Ariel herself, Jodi Benson. Now, with Styles potentially on board, this is shaping up to be one of Disney's most exciting live-action remakes yet. 

Now fans are left wondering... who's going to play Sebastian?