NEXT BIG THING

JONAH HAUER-KING IS DISNEY ROYALTY

Ican’t see it, but I will take it,’ laughs Jonah Hauer-King when Teasers suggests that it must do wonders for your self-esteem to be cast as a Disney prince. ‘Wholeheartedly, I will take it.’ Having found a following with TV projects like Little Women and World on Fire, the 27-year-old joins the big leagues with Disney’s liveaction The Little Mermaid.

What was the audition process like for Prince Eric in

The Little Mermaid?

It starts as an email. It starts as a self-tape request. Most of the time you gladly do them, and send them off into the abyss. But another email came in, saying they want another tape… And then another… Eventually, it culminated in meeting Rob [Marshall, director]. And at that point, it starts to feel a bit more real.

How does the new film compare to the 1989 animation?

The objective was trying to honour and respect the film that we loved 30 years ago, and bring everything that we fell in love with in the first place, while also trying to breathe some new life into it. I think that was true of Prince Eric. Trying to understand who he is, and trying to bring some four-dimensionality to him, was the challenge.

Tell us about upcoming thriller

Rich Flu… It was super-fun. It was a completely wacky, bonkers film. I play a billionaire’s son who is the worst, most obnoxious person. He’s hilarious. It was kind of bringing a bit of Roman Roy energy from [Sky Atlantic series] Succession. It was so liberating to do something like that.

What would you like to tackle next?

[Growing up a fan of] The Lord of the Rings, I’d love to do something where I was riding a horse and wielding a sword. And I’d quite like to do a horror. I love the fact that in among the jump scares and the fear, there’s usually something incredibly complex and existential going on.

THE LITTLE MERMAID OPENS IN CINEMAS ON 26 MAY.