With the recently-released Aladdin remake and the upcoming CGI remake of The Lion King taking up everyone’s attention, you’ve probably forgotten that Disney are also working on a live-action remake of The Little Mermaid.
Oh yeah, there was also that Dumbo remake. Forgot about that one.
The little project has had its share of hurdles, like being unable to find someone to play the titular little mermaid, but it appears that the movie has taken a big step forward by finding the perfect person to play the sea witch, Ursula.
According to Variety, Disney has Melissa McCarthy in its sights for the role of the sea witch. That’s a bit of genius casting from Disney because it was going to take a hell of a talented actress to pull off Ursula and McCarthy is nothing short of a perfect fit to play such an entertainingly manipulative role.
Now we shouldn’t get too excited yet as the deal hasn’t been finalised yet but it certainly appears that Disney is doing its best “to make contemporary and compelling casting choices, while still paying homage to the beloved animated original.” I’m interpreting that as they really want Miley Cyrus to play Ariel.
While the film hasn’t managed to lock in the full cast yet, the assembled behind-the-scenes team is nothing short of impressive. Mary Poppins Returns and Chicago director Rob Marshall will helm the film while Disney veteran Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda will take their shots at writing new songs.
Now that Ursula has (probably) been cast, I wonder what poor, unfortunate soul will be the next one to be ensnared in this project’s net? Eh, let’s nominate Chris Hemsworth because why not?