Awkwafina Confirms Her 'Little Mermaid' Role In Exclusive Interview

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(Image credit: Thomas Whiteside)

published 11 September 2019

For the October 2019 issue of Marie Claire—which happens to be our 25th anniversary issue, a milestone we're celebrating by honoring 25 women who are changing the future—Allison Glock interviewed Awkwafina. The icon, who most recently starred in the critically acclaimed The Farewell, has several projects on the horizon, including the forthcoming live action The Little Mermaid. The comedian is set to play Scuttle the seagull. Ariel will be played by Halle Bailey, and it's rumored that Jacob Tremblay will play Ariel's sidekick, Flounder.

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In her piece, which you can read here, Glock outlined what Awkwafina had in store for us. November 1, you can expect the fantasy drama Paradise Hills, and December 20 will bring us Jumanji: The Next Level. But that's not all!

Now, Awkwafina’s options appear limitless. She’s already seduced critics as the emotionally riven lead in The Farewell, a profound family drama about grief, connection, and the burdens we carry. She stars in November’s thriller Paradise Hills and December’s Jumanji: The Next Level opposite Dwayne Johnson, and she’s set for roles in the screen version of Broadway’s The Prom, with Meryl Streep, and the live-action Little Mermaid. Also on Awkwafina’s overflowing plate is her as-yet-untitled Comedy Central series loosely based on her upbringing in Queens.

Awkwafina had previously been cagey about her much-rumored role in The Little Mermaid reboot. In late August, she told ET: "Aww man, that all isn't confirmed yet, but obviously if it happens, I would be more than honored...It's a classic, yeah. I'm very, very happy. That's my princess right there, so I'm very happy with what they have [announced] so far."

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Rumored to be joining Awkwafina and Bailey, along with Tremblay, is Melissa McCarthy, who is reportedly playing Ursula. Lin-Manuel Miranda is also lending a hand to the soundtrack, which will feature both old and new songs from the movie's original composer Alan Menken, and Javier Bardem may be in as King Triton. No word yet on who will play Prince Eric, although Harry Styles confirmed that, sadly, it would not be him.

Anyone else counting down the days 'til this movie premiers?

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Jenny is the Digital Director at Marie Claire. A graduate of Leeds University, and a native of London, she moved to New York in 2012 to attend the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. She was the first intern at Bustle when it launched in 2013 and spent five years building out its news and politics department. In 2018 she joined Marie Claire, where she held the roles of Deputy Digital Editor and Director of Content Strategy before becoming Digital Director. Working closely with Marie Claire's exceptional editorial, audience, commercial, and e-commerce teams, Jenny oversees the brand's digital arm, with an emphasis on driving readership. When she isn't editing or knee-deep in Google Analytics, you can find Jenny writing about television, celebrities, her lifelong hate of umbrellas, or (most likely) her dog, Captain. In her spare time, she writes fiction: her first novel, the thriller EVERYONE WHO CAN FORGIVE ME IS DEAD, was published with Minotaur Books (UK) and Little, Brown (US) in February 2024 and became a USA Today bestseller. She has also written extensively about developmental coordination disorder, or dyspraxia , which she was diagnosed with when she was nine.