Harry Styles turns down 'The Little Mermaid' so who should play Prince Eric instead?

If it's not going to be the One Direction star, we have a BTS heartthrob and two Oscar nominees who would fit the bill perfectly

Prince Eric in Disney's The Little Mermaid and harry Style. Disney and Getty Images
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It had been rumoured that One Direction's Harry Styles would be stepping into the shoes of Prince Eric for Disney's upcoming live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. However, it seems that the hunt for the perfect love interest for Ariel is still on.

On August 13, Styles was 'confirmed' for the role by AMC Theatres' Twitter account, but later in the day sources close to the project revealed that he had 'respectfully declined' to be a part of the project.

A source told E! News: "While [Harry] is a fan of the project he has respectfully declined the offer."

This is not the first high profile project Styles has been connected to in the last few weeks, last month it was said he was in the running to play Elvis Presley in an upcoming biopic of the singer's life. He did not land the role, however, losing out to Austin Butler.

But who should take on the role of Prince Eric? 

Jimin from BTS

The Army may be in mourning following the band's announced hiatus, but they are channelling their energy into campaigning for band member Jimin to be cast as Eric. Many are saying it's time for an Asian love interest.

Timothee Chalamet 

Flowing black locks are as much a part of Prince Eric's character as his ability to convince a girl to leave her friends and family behind and move to an entirely different world. And with his trademark dark curls, Oscar nominee Chalamet fits the bill perfectly.

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 13:  Timothee Chalamet attends the UK Premiere of "Beautiful Boy" & Headline gala during the 62nd BFI London Film Festival on October 13, 2018 in London, England.  (Photo by Dave J Hogan/Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
Timothee Chalamet's hair makes him a perfect Prince Eric in our eyes. Getty Images

Joe Keery

Another actor who could be cast based on his hair alone is Stranger Things' star Keery. We know he has an appreciation for all things vintage following the 1980s love letter that is Stranger Things, so a remake of the 1989 hit should be right up his street.

Jaden Smith 

Son of Will Smith, the 21-year-old is already a bonafide actor, having starred in various projects since starring in The Pursuit of Happyness with his dad in 2006. Twitter agrees, with many calling out for the young actor to be cast as Eric.

Dev Patel

We should be better than casting based on hair alone, but it turns out we're not. Patel may be known now for his more serious roles in movies like Lion and The Wedding Guest, but a little light hearted live-action remake never hurt anyone. Also, that hair deserves to be seen on the Disney big screen.

epa05681784 British actor Dev Patel poses for a photograph in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 19 December 2016. Patel plays the role of 'Saroo Brierley' in the movie 'Lion,' that will be released in Australia on 19 January 2017.  EPA/PAUL MILLER AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT *** Local Caption *** 53170303
Is it time for British actor Dev Patel to ease up on the Oscar-worthy roles for some Disney magic? EPA

What do we know about the live action 'Little Mermaid'?

The remake was announced as far back as May 2016, with Mary Poppins Returns director Rob Marshall at the helm. In July this year it was confirmed that American singer Halle Bailey had been cast as Ariel.

The actress and singer is perhaps best known for her role as the main character in US sitcom Grown-ish (a spin-off of popular series Black-ish) or as one half of the singing duo Chloe x Halle, which she performs in with her sister.

It is not only the Little Mermaid getting the live-action treatment, Mulan trailer premiered last month ahead of its Friday, March 27, 2020 release, revealing that it would not me a musical movie.

And just this morning, Disney introduced the world to the a canine cast of rescue dogs from Lady and the Tramp, who will be voiced by Tessa Thompson and Justin Theroux.