The timer is ticking on the release of Disney’s newest live-action adaptation of its beloved animated film The Little Mermaid and more details about the casting are finally headed to the surface. In one of the latest updates, it’s now been revealed that actor Jessica Alexander, best known for her role as Betsey in the British horror film A Banquet, will be playing Vanessa – the beautiful (though still evil) alter-ego of Ursula the Sea Witch.
If it’s been a while since you watched it (or if you were too young to remember it all) Vanessa was the glamorous disguise Ursula used to hypnotize Prince Eric into falling in love with her, an endgame gambit she used when it appeared that Eric was finally going to kiss Ariel, and thus end the contract that Ursula had used to steal her voice (and, you know, take over the entire undersea kingdom of King Triton).
Alexander wasn’t allowed to talk specifics about the role when she was interviewed by TotalFilm for this month’s issue but she did manage to gush a bit about the live-action adaptation’s production values. “The songs are amazing. And the costumes are just unreal. I’m very excited for the world to see it,” she told the magazine. And though she didn’t get specific about her character’s name during the interview she did drop one hint that she would be in character as Ursula’s disguise, saying “I think I’m going to develop a reputation for being a screamer because in all my projects I’m just screaming and being monstrous!”
The Little Mermaid will be released theatrically on May 26.
