The Little Mermaid is Disney's latest live-action adaptation of an animated classic. The film follows King Triton's youngest daughter, Ariel, who is enamored with the human world even though her father has dubbed it off-limits to mermaids. Breaking the rules, Ariel saves and falls in love with Prince Eric, leading to a heated confrontation with her father. Heartbroken Ariel turns to Ursula, the sea witch, for help and strikes a deal, trading her voice for legs that will allow her to find Eric and explore the surface world. However, this bargain will have dangerous consequences for both worlds above and below the water.
Rob Marshall collaborates with Disney once again, directing The Little Mermaid based on a script penned by David Magee. Alan Menken, who scored and co-wrote the music to the animated movie, returns as composer on The Little Mermaid and wrote new songs for the live-action adaptation with producer Lin-Manuel Miranda. The Little Mermaid features a star-studded cast led by Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, Javier Bardem, Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, Jonah Hauer-King, and Jacob Tremblay.
McCarthy and Bardem spoke with Screen Rant about starring in The Little Mermaid. Bardem revealed details about a cut King Triton song and pitched an Ursula spin-off, while McCarthy shared a hilarious story about working with Menken and Miranda as well as insight into Ursula.
Melissa McCarthy & Javier Bardem on The Little Mermaid
Screen Rant: Seven-year-old me is freaking out that we got to see King Triton and Ursula onscreen, and they look so fantastic. Melissa, can you talk about balancing Ursula's comedy and her sinister side in this film?
Melissa McCarthy: It's what I try to do with any character. Comedy [or] drama I really never think about it. I just think about the character and the story. But for her, she is such a complicated character. I think she's so funny. There's wit, there's manipulation. She's a great broad and at the same time, I have to think about what armor does she put in? And I don't think her mental health is great.
I think she's been isolated. She's shunned from her family. She's been alone. She's not been offered a family of her own or anything. I think the revenge and the mania of her became really real. Keeping all of her parts I think it's what makes people and characters great. It's all that messiness, and you wrap it up in one package. Then you really have somebody, I really fell for and I had great compassion for her
Javier, during the press conference yesterday, Rob, John, and Alan said that you actually had a song in the film. Can you tell me what that song was originally about?
Javier Bardem: It's called "Impossible Child." It's an original song from Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda. We worked very hard on doing it. It was a beautiful process and a very scary one as we both know, but always accompanied by the amazing talent around you. It was shot. It is beautifully shot, but it's true that in terms of how the character ends the story if the song was included it would have changed a little bit what the end for the character is. It's gonna be released as an extra when the movie comes out.
There we go! Home entertainment release!
Melissa McCarthy: Everybody said it was amazing! So, I'm dying to see it.
The music in this is phenomenal. Melissa, you got to work with two amazing legendary composers Lin-Manuel Miranda and Alan Menken. Can you talk to me about your experience?
Melissa McCarthy: First of all, that's a lot of pressure. I'm in such awe of both of them. Who isn't? I can't even think of it in terms of living up to it because you're like, I just don't want to fail you. I don't want to take your magic work, and then be like, "I'm sorry about that." And at one point really early on. I was still just rehearsing. So this is the very first time we went there for five weeks to rehearse some stuff. They both popped in. They're both delightful humans. They're so nice. They're really chatty.
They both popped in and a full sweat started. I was like, [terrified smile]. And they're like, "Hey!" We chatted and they said, "Do you want us to just hang out and stay with you for the rehearsal?" I think Lin was asking, the full sentence wasn't out yet. And I was like, "No!, No I don't! I can't think of anything worse! I can't think of anything that would make me... I'm almost having a heart attack. Just talking to you guys. I'm not ready to sing for you. Oh my god. I'm sorry. I said it so quickly" I couldn't take it back. And they just kind of laughed and were like "We're gonna go then." I'm like, "Bye!" It's like oh my god!
Javier Bardem: I don't blame you.
Melissa McCarthy: Could you imagine? I was like, "Get out of here."
Javier, your characters have an interesting family dynamic. Is that something you'd like to see explored in another either Disney film or Disney+ show?
Javier Bardem: I'm asking for the spin-off of Ursula? What are you waiting for?
Melissa McCarthy: Yes. Come on! Siblings. Call it Squidlings.
Squiblings!
Javier Bardem: And then because we are siblings we could have a Christmas party seeing what I'm having some dinner with her.
Melissa McCarthy: It writers itself Disney. Come on!
About The Little Mermaid
A live-action adaptation of the 1989 animated classic The Little Mermaid follows Ariel, the youngest daughter of King Triton, longs to explore the human world. However, mermaids have been forbidden from the surface world by King Triton. Breaking the rule Ariel meets Prince Eric and falls for him. Triton, enraged, confronts his daughter which sends her into the arms of Ursula, the sea witch, who the young mermaid makes a dangerous deal with in the hopes of meeting Eric again.
Check out our other The Little Mermaid interviews here:
- Halle Bailey & Jonah Hauer-King
- Awkwafina & Jacob Tremblay
- Rob Marshall & John DeLuca
