Once Upon a Time has officially cast for the role of Ariel for season 3.

JoAnna Garcia, of Reba fame, has been cast as Ariel, otherwise known as The Little Mermaid. Once Upon a Time co-creator Adam Horowitz announced the news on Twitter Friday, writing:

"So thrilled to welcome @JoAnnaLGarcia to the #OnceUponATime family as our Ariel! Can't wait to bring you under the sea!"

Garcia tweeted her excitement soon after the announcement:

Garcia will appear as Ariel in episode 6 of season 3, which will appropriately be called Ariel. The episode will feature Ariel's backstory, according to a Friday report from TVGuide. Though she will maintain the "wide-eyed charm" that audiences grew to love in the 1989 Disney classic The Little Mermaid, the producers promise that there will be a "twist" to the character.

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As for whether or not the villainous Ursula will be featured as well, series co-creator Edward Kitsis suggested that it was very likely.

"Ursula could appear this season, absolutely," Kitsis told TVGuide. "But on our show you never know what that might mean."

Fans first heard the news that Ariel would be a part of the new season after a clip from Once Upon a Time's new season was shown at Comic-Con in late July.

The clip featured the red-haired mermaid stealing a fork from Grumpy (Lee Arenberg), the dwarf. This was a reference to the 1989 film, in which Ariel becomes obsessed with forks and uses one as a hairbrush.

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Season 3 of Once Upon a Time premieres Sunday, Sept. 29 on ABC. The series will air 11 episodes in the fall with no repeats, meaning the Ariel episode should air Sunday, Nov. 3.

Watch the clip previewing Ariel here:

Tags: Once Upon A Time Once Upon A Time Season 3 Spoilers Joanna Garcia-Swisher