Original Prince Eric star backs Harry Styles for role in live-action The Little Mermaid

The man who voiced Prince Eric in Disney's animated The Little Mermaid is backing Harry Styles to take on the role in an upcoming live-action remake.

The One Direction star has been linked to the part in recent weeks, and now Christopher Daniel Barnes, who tackled the titular character's love interest back in the 1989 classic, has told reporters at TMZ that Harry is the perfect fit for the update.

"The guy's a rock star, actor, philanthropist...," Barnes said. "It's a pretty good start for a prince, right? I think he'll do a great job."

He was also full of praise for R&B singer Halle Bailey, who was recently cast as the singing mermaid Ariel.

"I actually didn't know who she was, so I Googled her and saw her singing, and I just thought, 'Wow, she's going to be a fantastic Ariel.' She has this very Ariel-esque quality. If you look at her sing, she has this vitality for life, this exuberance, optimism, and you can see it shine through when she sings. You can tell that she's got a strong personality which I think is essential to the character," the 46-year-old shared.

Additionally, Barnes touched upon the controversy that has surrounded the young star after she was announced as the leading lady in Rob Marshall's live-action remake of the animated classic, with fans taking to social media to complain that the African-American singer does not resemble the white, red-haired cartoon in the 1990 original.

"If somebody thinks that skin colour is an essential element to Ariel, then they don't understand the power of myth and what the story's really about," Barnes fired.

The upcoming project will also feature original music from Lin Manuel-Miranda, and is rumoured to star Javier Bardem, Awkwafina, Melissa McCarthy, and Jacob Tremblay.