Chloë Grace Moretz surprised fans when she announced that she was dropping all of her movie projects, including Universal's live-action reimagining of "The Little Mermaid."
After filming "November Criminals" and "Brain on Fire" back-to-back, Moretz made the decision to pull out from her pending projects as she tries to slow down and contemplate on life.
"So I pulled the plug on all my movies because I want to reassess who I am and find myself within my roles again," the 19-year-old actress told The Hollywood Reporter. "I'm realizing that I can slow down."
In a separate interview with E! News, she explained that it's not so much of a temporary leave, but more of that she's becoming "more picky and particular" about the roles she wants to pursue. "I think as an actor you have a huge opportunity to find yourself through the roles that you choose," Moretz said.
With Moretz out of "The Little Mermaid," the search re-opens for the lead role of Ariel. Here are some of the actresses that could replace Moretz.
Ella Purnell
Purnell won the hearts of many when she appeared as the charming Emma Bloom in Tim Burton's "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children." With her beautiful, emotive eyes, Purnell would certainly do a great job as the warm-hearted Ariel.
Karen Gillan
In the original "The Little Mermaid" animated film, Ariel is portrayed as a redhead with long, bouncy locks. This look is easily seen on Gillan, who is also a redhead herself. She has amazing vocals, too, which means she could belt out "Part of Your World" and have us sing along.
Emma Stone
Stone has gone through many different roles, and she performed each and every one of it spectacularly. From the rebellious "Easy A" to critical darling "La La Land," Stone has done it all. Her expansive acting ability makes her one of the best candidate for the role of Ariel.
Given Stone's amazing performance as Sally Bowles in the Broadway production of "Cabaret," it's clear that she will have us singing our hearts out to "The Little Mermaid" soundtrack. Unfortunately, Stone is reportedly attached to play Cruella DeVille in "101 Dalmatians."
Ariana Grande
Grande looked like a real-life version of Ariel when she died her head red in Nickelodeon's "Victorious." Her co-star on show, Avan Jogia, also looks like Prince Eric himself. Ever since then, it's difficult not to associate Grande with the role, as her sweet and bubbly personality also matches that of Ariel.
Alexandra Daddario
The "True Detective" star's piercing eyes make her look like a Disney princess already. Her magnetic look would make her appear absolutely stunning as a mermaid.
Notable mentions:
Saoirse Ronan, Holliday Granger and Olivia Cooke are also excellent choices to play Ariel in "The Little Mermaid."