It’s no secret that Harry Styles walked away from playing Prince Eric in Disney’s live action Little Mermaid, but now, the pop star has revealed the reason behind his decision to bow out.

Fans may have flipped over the news this summer that Harry Styles could be the one to bring Prince Eric to life on the big screen. Unfortunately, it seems as though Styles’ involvement in Disney’s live action Little Mermaid just wasn’t meant to be.

Though it was reported that Disney and Styles parted ways amiably after the “Lights Up” singer passed on the part, one thing we didn’t know was the reason why Styles didn’t choose to sign on for the film which finds fellow recording artist Halle Bailey playing Ariel.

Now, it’s looking like we’ve finally got our answer to that question.

During a recent appearance on Capital FM’s Capital Breakfast, Styles revealed that it all came down to scheduling.

“I had a meeting with Rob Marshall, the director, who is the most wonderful man — he’s great,” Styles said, adding that he thinks the upcoming adaptation is going to be amazing.

“Honestly, it was just — they shoot for so long, and I want to tour next year and stuff, maybe,” teased the singer. “I don’t know — that’s, you know, potentially — maybe not — I haven’t announced [a tour] yet.”

Touring is a pretty big time commitment, so it’s no wonder why Styles chose to sit this one out.

Plus, given the fact that it’s only been a few weeks since Styles dropped the first single off his forthcoming second studio album, it makes sense that he didn’t want to offer up an explanation for his decision over the summer — well before he surprised fans with his brand new single.

As for The Little Mermaid, there’s no word yet on who Disney will tap to bring Prince Eric to life on the big screen, though the studio has narrowed down the hopefuls to a shortlist.