Chloe Moretz: ‘Kickass’ Star To Play Ariel In Live Action ‘Little Mermaid’ Movie
Chloe Grace Moretz, the teen star of Kickass, will reportedly be playing Ariel in Universal’s live action movie, The Little Mermaid.
Moretz, 18, who has appeared in movies such as The Amityville Horror, Kickass, 500 Days of Summer, Dark Shadows, and Carrie, confirmed that she will be playing Ariel through her Twitter account. With her tweet, it seems that she has known the news for quite some time, but it is only now that she officially confirmed it.
Been waiting a long time to tell you guys!! #TheLittleMermaid going to be a beautiful experience! Can’t wait to show everyone my Mermaid!
— Chloë Grace Moretz (@ChloeGMoretz) November 6, 2015
According to reports, Chloe Moretz was the choice actress to play the mermaid way back when director Sophia Coppola was still tied to the project. However, Coppola has since left the project due to her creative differences with the production company, as Realty Today reports. There have been rumors that Coppola did not agree to cast Moretz as the lead role, but that has not been confirmed.
The Little Mermaid is based on Danish author Hans Christian Andersen’s 1837 fairy tale, which tells the story of a mermaid who wants to give up her life in the sea in order to be a human. Disney adapted the film in 1989, but did not strictly follow Andersen’s story, particularly the ending, most likely to make the movie more kid-friendly. In Andersen’s version, the mermaid turns into seafoam after refusing to kill the prince, while in the Disney version, Ariel and Prince Eric live happily ever after.
The Verge has reported that there is no news of whether or not Universal’s live action adaptation will follow the story of the animated film.
Aside from Chloe Moretz, other names confirmed to be tied to The Little Mermaid include Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan as producers and Amelia Granger and Liza Chasin as executive producers. According to Variety, Richard Curtis is set to write the script for the movie. Curtis’ writing credits include Notting Hill, Four Weddings and a Funeral, About Time, Bridget Jones’s Diary, and Love Actually among others. Bill Condon is reported to take the helm as the movie’s director.
.@ChloeGMoretz to star in #TheLittleMermaid https://t.co/Ii28QIz2Y4 pic.twitter.com/3AF4nOWVsN
— Variety (@Variety) November 8, 2015
The Little Mermaid follows the trends of live action movies adapted from animated films. In recent years, there have been a number of animated Disney movies that have been rebooted as live action films, including Maleficent, Cinderella, and Alice in Wonderland. There have also been talks of a Dumbo live action film with Tim Burton as the rumored director. In addition, the live action version of Beauty and the Beast, starring Emma Watson as Belle, is currently in the works and is scheduled to hit theaters sometime in 2017.
Chloe Moretz started her acting career at the age of 7-years-old and gained recognition for her role in the 2005 film, The Amityville Horror. Since then, she has had her name tied to a number of movies and TV appearances.
Chloe Moretz has just finished filming a movie entitled Brain on Fire and is currently working on Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising. Moretz will also be appearing in a number of other films, namely November Criminals and The Fifth Wave.
What do you think of Chloe Moretz playing the role of Ariel in The Little Mermaid? What other Disney animated films would you like to see remade as live action films? Share your comments below.
[Photo by Astrid Stawiarz / Getty Images for Coach]