Looks like another studio has beat Disney to the punch.

Deadline has recently reported that Universal Pictures and Working Title has cast Chloe Grace Moretz in the lead role of their adaptation of The Little Mermaid.

Of course, this version of The Little Mermaid is expected to follow the original Hans Christian Anderson tale, making for a darker and more bittersweet story than Disney’s iconic 1989 animated retelling. Suffice it to say, there will be no musical numbers, talking crabs, or red hair in this movie (she also won’t be named Ariel, if they really stick to the story).

Richard Curtis (Bridget Jones’ Diary, Love Actually, and War Horse) will write the screenplay. Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner will oversee for Working Title, while Erik Baiers and Chloe Yellin will oversee for Universal.

Surprisingly, of the sixteen films now lined up on Disney’s slate of live-action remakes, The Little Mermaid has yet to join that list. As such, this news effectively gives Universal a head start as it craft its own definitive take on the story, separate from Disney’s popularized version of the tale.

They won’t be alone, however. Despite taking a swing and a miss with Pan, Warner Bros is gearing up for a second stab at the re-imagined fairy tale with next year’s Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur, Guy Ritchie’s epic fantasy retelling of the story of King Arthur. Recently, Disney began development on The Sword and the Stone, a remake of the 1963 film that also told the story of a young King Arthur.

Behold the power of public domain. If Disney can do it, so can everyone else.

What do you think? Is Chloe Grace Moretz the right choice for the role? Are you excited for a more ‘faithful’ version of The Little Mermaid?

Edited by: Kelly Conley