Auli’i Cravalho will play the mermaid Ariel in the Disney’s The Little Mermaid Live! on ABC.
Cravalho, who voiced the title role in the animated film Moana, will star in the production featuring a mix of live-action, animation and puppetry on Nov. 5 celebrating the classic animated feature’s 30th anniversary.
The network also announced Queen Latifah will play the villainous sea witch Ursula; while Jamaican reggae musician Shaggy will voice the lovable red crab Sebastian and is expected to perform the film’s signature song, the Oscar-winning “Under the Sea.”
According to Deadline, the hybrid format will combine intricate sets and costumes created for the special with music from the original animated film and the Tony Award-winning Broadway stage version, composed by eight-time Oscar-winner Alan Menken. Howard Ashman’s film lyrics will also be showcased, with Glenn Slater, lyricist for the Broadway adaptation, as a contributor.
Following her starring role in Moana, Cravalho performed the film’s popular song, “How Far I’ll Go,” written by Lin Manuel Miranda at the Oscars and starred in the NBC musical drama series Rise. It was just announced that she will also play the lead in the Brett Haley Netflix film Sorta Like a Rock Star, according to Deadline.
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