‘The Little Mermaid,’ another one of Disney’s live-action reimaginings, now has Melissa McCarthy in early talks to play the villain Ursula. Yes, this would mean she would sing “Poor Unfortunate Souls” in the film.
McCarthy recently got an Academy Award nomination for her performance in Marielle Heller’s ‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?’ biopic. She also received an Academy Award nomination for her supporting role in Paul Feig’s ‘Bridesmaids.’ Next, she will appear in Andrea Berloff’s ‘The Kitchen,’ releasing August 9th.
Moreover, Rob Marshall (‘Chicago’) will reunite with writer David Magee (‘Life of Pi’) on this film. The two recently did last year’s ‘Mary Poppins Returns.’ The previous draft of the screenplay was from Jane Goldman (‘X-Men: First Class,’ the ‘Kingsman’ films).
Additionally, the film will incorporate songs from the original 1989 version. Returning composer Alan Menken (‘Beauty and the Beast,’ ‘Aladdin’) and Lin-Manuel Miranda (‘Hamilton,’ ‘Moana’) will also create new music.
Further, filming is aiming to begin April 2020, with the studio looking to wrap sometime in August. Locations may include the Cayman Islands and South Africa. Maro, La Cala, Torre del Mar, Almayate, Chilches, Benajarafe, and Torrox are also possible.
Lastly, there is no official word regarding the popular fancast of Zendaya (‘Euphoria,’ ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’) portraying Ariel, the titular mermaid.
There is currently no release date as of now, but it will likely release sometime in 2021. Options include March 12th, May 28th, July 30th, and October 8th.
Source: Variety