After years in development, it seems things are finally moving forward on Disney's live-action remake of its animated classic "The Little Mermaid," with the Mouse House securing some big-name talent to work behind the scenes on the flick.

Deadline reports that "Hamilton" composer and star Lin-Manuel Miranda will join the film as a songwriter and producer, working alongside Oscar-winning Disney composer Alan Menken. Miranda will co-write some new songs with Menkin, though his involvement will reportedly stretch much further than that: He's also set to supervise the film's overall story, and have a say in who's hired to pen the screenplay.

This latest project continues Disney's burgeoning relationship with the Tony winner, who also wrote some music for Disney's upcoming animated feature "Moana." Miranda is also set to costar in the studio's "Mary Poppins" sequel, "Mary Poppins Returns," playing a key role alongside titular star Emily Blunt.

According to Deadline, this new version of "The Little Mermaid" will feature many of the existing tunes from the 1989 movie, as well as a handful of new songs. There's no word yet on just how many original compositions fans can expect.

Disney has quite a few of these live-action remakes/reboots in the pipeline, though we're hoping this particular one can get off the ground sooner rather than later. It seems Miranda's involvement is a step in the right direction for the studio. Stay tuned.

[via: Deadline]

Photo credit: Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions