Chloe Moretz is to play scaly heroine Ariel in Universal’s live-action adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale. The film, which has been in development since 2011, still lacks a director, with Sofia Coppola following Joe Wright in exiting the project earlier this year.

But it does appear to have gained a writer: Richard Curtis, who is now linked to the production. Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner of Working Title will produce. It is not known whether the film will retain the tragic end of Andersen’s story or opt for a more upbeat finish, as per the 1989 Disney animation.

Live-action mermaids have not taken centre stage in a film since 2006’s little-seen teen movie Aquamarine, and not had a hit since 1984’s Splash. But they have enjoyed largely sinister cameos in franchises such as Pirates of the Caribbean and Harry Potter. Studio Ghibli film Ponyo (2008) told of a goldfish princess eager to become human after befriending a five-year-old boy.