'Hamilton' star Daveed Diggs in talks for Sebastian role in 'Little Mermaid' remake
The Disney live-action remake of The Little Mermaid may have found its crustacean sidekick.
Daveed Diggs, the Grammy and Tony award-winning star of Broadway hit Hamilton, is in talks with Disney to take on the role of the crab Sebastian, according to Variety.
Originally voiced by the actor Samuel E. Wright, Sebastian grabs two of the most memorable songs in the movie, Under The Sea and Kiss The Girl.
Read more: Who is Disney’s new Little Mermaid Halle Bailey?
If he scoops the part, he'll join R&B star Halle Bailey as mermaid princess Ariel, while Melissa McCarthy and Javier Bardem are being rumoured for the roles of the evil Ursula and King Triton.
Jacob Tremblay and Awkwafina are also said to be voicing Ariel’s pals Flounder and Scuttle.
One key role remains to be filled, that of Prince Eric. One Direction star Harry Styles was heavily tipped for the part, but that no longer seems to be happening.
Rapper and songwriter Diggs played both Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson as part of the original cast of Lin-Manuel Miranda's hit show, leaving in the summer of 2016.
He won the Tony for Best Featured Actor the same year, and a Grammy for the cast album.
Diggs has since appeared in the show Black-ish, acclaimed indie comedy Blindspotting and Dan Gilroy's Velvet Buzzsaw for Netflix earlier this year.
Rob Marshall is set to direct the remake of the 1989 Disney classic, which will feature the original music from screen musical legend Alan Menken, as well as lyrics from Hamilton creator Miranda, who is also among the movie's producers.
There's no official release date as yet, but production is set to begin in April, 2020.
