New Jesse Eisenberg A24 Movie Adds Three New Cast Members, Including A Little Mermaid Star

Jesse Eisenberg‘s new movie has officially added three new cast members. Eisenberg is a two-time feature director, with his 2024 movie A Real Pain receiving award recognition. While Eisenberg himself did not walk home with an Oscar for his work on the film’s original screenplay, the movie ended up taking home the award for Best Supporting Actor at the 97th Academy Awards. Before A Real Pain, Eisenberg made his directorial debut with When You Finish Saving The World in 2022. Now, he is working on a musical comedy project with A24.

Per Variety, Eisenberg’s new film has added three new cast members. These new stars include Halle Bailey, Bernadette Peters, and Havana Rose Liu. Their character details have yet to be revealed.

What This Means For The Jesse Eisenberg Movie

The Film Already Cast Julianne Moore & Paul Giamatti

Halle Bailey as Ariel looking surprised towards the surface in The Little Mermaid

Peters, Liu, and Bailey join a cast that includes Julianne Moore, Paul Giamatti, and Eisenberg himself in lead roles. The unтιтled movie’s supporting cast also includes Bonnie Milligan, Colton Ryan, Lilli Cooper, and Maulik Pancholy. The only actor with character information available is Moore, who (per the logline) is described as a “shy woman who is unexpectedly cast in a community theater musical production, going to extremes as she loses herself in the role.” The movie began production earlier this month. Eisenberg wrote the film’s original music and lyrics.

Producers for the movie include Emma Stone and her husband, David McCary.

Whereas stars like Giamatti and Moore provide the more cinematic name recognition for the film, the latest cast members reveal some of the musical talent that will be on hand. Peters is a Broadway legend, winning Tonys for iconic roles such as her lead role in Annie Get Your Gun. Bailey has worked in the music world in the duo Chloe x Halle, and made a splash playing Ariel in the 2023 live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. This experienced cast could greatly elevate the film as it embarks on a musical adventure.

Our Take On This Casting News

Moore Is Far Less Experienced Vocally

These castings are made further intriguing by the film’s plot. Eisenberg‘s movie takes place in a community theater setting, indicating that the original songs could intentionally be written to have a non-professional quality to them. Moore is far less experienced with musicals, making her singing debut in the movie Dear Evan Hansen, but Peters and Bailey have a vocal power that would certainly make them unexpected auditioners for a community theater-level production. As Moore’s character becomes overly absorbed in her role, these experience differences could be the source of comedy.

Source: Variety