The Little Mermaid and star Melissa McCarthy made waves at CinemaCon as part of Disney’s presentation Wednesday.
McCarthy, who plays the villainous Ursula, brought the song “Poor Unfortunate Souls” from the feature, showing off a singing voice not generally heard from the comic actor.
“It was truly such an honor to play one of Disney’s most delicious and iconic villains,” said McCarthy. “Ursula is dishy, she’s a conniving broad. Maybe that’s why I relate, I don’t know. But you can’t help but love her at the same time.”
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The scene was well received in the room, with theater owners giving it big applause. The scene also provided glimpses of Flounder (voiced by Jacob Tremblay) and Sebastian (voiced by Daveed Diggs).
Halle Bailey stars as Ariel in the live-action remake of the 1989 animated classic. Other stars include Javier Bardem, Awkwafina and Jonah Hauer-King.
Rob Marshall directs The Little Mermaid, with Oscar winner Alan Menken returning to update his score and to write a new song that has lyrics from Lin-Manuel Miranda. The feature will include four new songs, as well.
The remake business has been lucrative for Disney, with Beauty and the Beast (2017), Aladdin (2019) and The Lion King (2019) all clearing $1 billion globally. Upcoming remakes include Snow White, starring Rachel Zegler and due out in March 2024. Lilo & Stitch and a Lion King prequel, Mufasa: The Lion King, are also in the works.
