The production crew for Disney's live-action Little Mermaid seems to confirm that Rob Marshall - director of Chicago, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and Into the Woods - will call the shots on the film.

In the recent influx of classic animated Disney movies getting live-action remakes, The Little Mermaid will not be left out. The live-action Little Mermaid is being written by Jane Goldman of Kick-Ass and Kingsman fame. It will also featured music by Alan Menken - who cowrote the songs for Disney's animated Little Mermaid - and Lin-Manuel Miranda. The latter of that pair is fresh off costarring in Mary Poppins Returns, which Marshall directed for a theatrical release in December 2018.

Related: Lin-Manuel Miranda's Meteoric Rise to the Top

Following up on reports that Rob Marshall is the top pick to direct Little Mermaid, Omega Underground is reporting that the film's production crew is a big indicator for Marshall's inclusion. It's a pretty good guess, considering the Oscar-winning hands that have been brought on deck have all worked with Marshall in the past. Colleen Atwood has come on as the costume designer, after having worked with Marshall on Chicago and Memoirs of a Geisha. (She's also known for her work on Alice in Wonderland and the upcoming Dumbo.) John Myhre has also joined Little Mermaid as the production designer, after having collaborated with Marshall on Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Chicago, Nine, Memoirs of a Geisha, and Mary Poppins Returns.

Director Rob Marshall

All of this points to Marshall's involvement as director, and it would a smart move on Disney's part to put him back to work right after completing Marry Poppins Returns. After the overwhelming success of Beauty and the Beast earlier this year, it comes as no surprise that a live-action Little Mermaid has now been green-lit too. As one of the more popular Disney properties, The Little Mermaid could easily turn out to be a massive crowd-pleaser for Disney, in live-action form.

Marshall has worked with Disney three times already, between On Stranger Tides, Mary Poppins Returns, and the 2014 musical Into the Woods adaptation. He's got the chops to easily incorporate musical elements, and he's even worked with mermaids before in On Stranger Tides. That is to say, he would likely be a perfect fit. Still, there's been no official announcement yet, so this is all speculation based on the film's production team including people that Marshall has worked with in the past. While this suggests a reunion with Marshall will be in store, Disney may yet surprise everyone and hire someone else for the directing job instead.

MORE: Lindsay Lohan Wants to Star in Live-Action Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid is still in pre-production and planning, so there's no official release date yet. Keep an eye on Screen Rant for more information as it becomes available.

Source: Omega Underground