Harry Potter and the Cursed Child star Noma Dumezweni has joined the cast of Disney's upcoming live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, based on the 1989 animated film. As reported by Deadline, Dumezweni will play a newly created role not present in the original.
Theatre fans will remember Dumezweni for creating the role of Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, playing the role in the work's original companies both on Broadway and in London's West End. Her performance earned Dumezweni her second Olivier Award and a subsequent Tony Award nomination. The Little Mermaid would be Dumezweni's second Disney film, after playing Miss Penny Farthing in 2018's Mary Poppins Returns.
Dumezweni joins a previously-reported principal cast including Halle Bailey as Ariel, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, and Javier Barden as King Triton, with Hamilton Tony winner Daveed Diggs slated to play Sebastian. Directed by Chicago and Into the Woods film director Rob Marshall, The Little Mermaid will feature songs from the original film (penned by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman) along with new songs co-written by Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
The Disney property also received a Broadway stage adaptation in 2008, starring Sierra Boggess as Ariel, Sherie Rene Scott as Ursula, and Norm Lewis as King Triton. The original songs created for that production, written by Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater, are not expected to be included in the upcoming film.
