Taylor Swift's ex-boyfriend Harry Styles refuses to play prince in The Little Mermaid

It was previously reported that actor and singer Harry Styles might play the role of Prince Eric in Disney's live-action version of The Little Mermaid. The latest news from foreign media The Wrap, Variety, and The Hollywood Reporter is that although Harry Styles is a fan of the original version of The Little Mermaid, he respectfully rejected the role.

Harry is a member of the boy band "One Direction". His first feature film appearance was in "Dunkirk" directed by Christopher Nolan. He also auditioned for the new Elvis biopic directed by Baz Luhrmann, but the role of "Elvis" was finally confirmed to be played by Austin Butler.

The live-action version of "The Little Mermaid" is directed by Rob Marshall ("Chicago"), with a script written by David Magee ("Mary Poppins Returns"), and stars black actress and singer Halle Bailey as "Ariel".

The film may be shot in Puerto Rico, Cape Town and other places, and is expected to start shooting in early 2020.