Emma Watson downplays ‘Little Mermaid’ casting rumors ‘for now’

After news reports surfaced last week that Sofia Coppola is in talks to direct a live-action adaptation of “The Little Mermaid,” media outlets and fans quickly began speculating that Emma Watson, who worked with Coppola on “The Bling Ring,” would be an ideal candidate for the title role.

Now Watson, who is making the rounds promoting the biblical epic “Noah,” has addressed the casting rumors.

At the “Noah” premiere in New York on Thursday, the 23-year-old actress told Variety she’s a longtime fan of the 1989 Disney animated version of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. “I actually dressed up as Ariel for my 5th birthday,” she said.

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However, she hasn’t so much as seen the script for the new movie. “I mean I’d have to read it first,” Watson said, though she did add, “I love Sofia so much.”

Watson was also asked about the rumors by VH1, and said they were “fiction … fiction for now.”

The script for the new film is based on the original Andersen story, which is considerably darker than the beloved Disney musical. It is being rewritten by Caroline Thompson (“Edward Scissorhands”) for Universal. Previous drafts were penned by Kelly Marcel (“Fifty Shades of Grey”) and Abi Morgan (“Shame”).

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