Things are starting to heat up for Disney's the Little Mermaid live-action remake, as both Jacob Tremblay and Awkwafina are being eyed to join the cast in a couple of key roles. Should things move forward as planned, Tremblay will star as Ariel's fish buddy Flounder, with Awkwafina set to portray Scuttle the seagull. This is a project we've been hearing about for a long time but it appears that things are finally moving, somewhat rapidly, in the right direction.

According to a new report, both Jacob Tremblay and Awkwafina are in talks with the studio currently for The Little Mermaid. The deals haven't closed just yet but it sounds very much like things are heading that way. Should the deals make, they'll join a cast that very well may include Melissa McCarthy, who is also being eyed for a key role in the remake as the villain Ursula. Pop star Lizzo got wind of the news and she's been actively campaigning for the role on Twitter. Granted, that may not have any real effect on the outcome.

Jacob Tremblay, despite being just 12-years-old, has been making big waves in Hollywood over the last few years. His breakout role came in the Oscar-winner Room, which he starred in alongside Brie Larson. Tremblay has since starred in movies such as Wonder and The Predator. He's set to appear in the R-rated comedy Good Boys next month. Awkwafina has similarly been on the rise. She appeared in both Crazy Rich Asians and Ocean's 8 last year. 2019 is shaping up quite nicely for her as well, as she's set to appear in Jumanji: The Next Level, as well as The Farwell, which has been getting some very solid buzz ahead of its debut.

Rob Marshall, who most recently helmed Mary Poppins Returns, is set to direct the reimagining of the 1989 animated classic. Lin-Manuel Miranda is also set to help compose new music for the movie alongside original composer Alan Menkin. The big question right now is, who will play Ariel? It was reported last August that Spider-Man: Far From Home star Zendaya was possibly being eyed for the lead role. There hasn't been any further confirmation on that front. However, the actress did recently dye her hair red, which was a major topic of debate online, giver her status as M.J. in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Disney has had a tremendous amount of luck with their live-action remakes over the last handful of years. Movies like Alice In Wonderland, The Jungle Book and Beauty and the Beast have all gone on to become huge hits at the box office. Most recently, Aladdin defied expectations to become a monster hit, closing in on $900 million globally. Next up is The Lion King, which comes from director Jon Favreau and arrives later this month. The Little Mermaid does not yet have a release date set. We'll be sure to keep you posted as any further details on the project are made available. This news comes to us via The Hollywood Reporter.