‘Once Upon a Time’ season 3 spoilers: JoAnna Garcia to be Little Mermaid Ariel

Who knew that casting campaigns can really work? For one of the most notable times since George R.R. Martin fans championed Peter Dinklage for the role of Tyrion Lannister, we have a case here of an actor actually being cast for a role following literally years of hype all about it.

According to TV Guide, JoAnna Garcia Swisher, a year removed now from filming the quick-to-be-canceled “Animal Practice” (and months removed from welcoming a child) has been cast for “Once Upon a Time” season 3 to play the role of Ariel, the beloved character made famous from “The Little Mermaid.” This is a major recurring role on the show, and should span at least a good portion of the fall season.

Ariel will be in some ways the famous character you remember from Disney lore, but this would not be “Once Upon a Time” without a few creative twists thrown in there to make the character also unique to the show’s world. There will also be some faces from the “Little Mermaid” universe that will come along with, whether it be Ursula, Eric, or some of the sea creatures with a knack for song-and-dance numbers that were in the movie.

Ariel is one of a few major characters surfacing (insert laugh track here) this season, as there is also going going to be both Peter Pan and Tinker Bell within the world of Neverland. The rumor mill is currently going crazy with the former, but the latter has already been officially cast.

“Once Upon a Time” will return on Sunday, September 29 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, but there is no official start date yet for Swisher. Nonetheless, this casting is probably causing high-fives right now with the show’s dedicated following.

Photo: ABC