Hot on the heels of Cruella, which just came out earlier this month, Disney may have already lined up its next villain solo movie. Maleficent broke the ground for this subgenre of the studio’s live-action remakes, with Emma Stone’s Ms. De Vil being the latest antagonist from Disney’s back catalog to get the starring treatment. According to the latest intel, the following foe to step into the spotlight could be Melissa McCarthy’s Ursula the Sea Witch, in a spinoff of the upcoming Little Mermaid remake.
This rumor comes from tipster Daniel Richtman, with no other details available at this time. Disney is currently in the midst of production on the remake of the 1990 animated classic in Italy, with Halle Bailey portraying the titular Ariel. Jonah Hauer-King is her love interest, Prince Eric, with Javier Bardem as King Triton. Daveed Diggs, Jacob Tremblay and Awkwafina provide the voices of Ariel’s animal friends – Sebastian the crab, Flounder the fish and Scuttle the seagull.
That’s a terrific cast, but fans are probably most excited to see how McCarthy brings the flamboyant Ursula – originally voiced by Pat Carroll – to life. And she must be impressing producers with her performance in the footage shot so far if we’re now hearing word that the studio is thinking of giving her a spinoff. This could mean that the storyline will be changed to accommodate this, with Ursula maybe surviving this version instead of dying at the end like in the animation.
Alternatively, this spinoff could be a prequel. Similar to Little Town, the upcoming Beauty and the Beast TV series that will follow Luke Evans’ Gaston prior to the events of the 2017 film. As that’s a Disney Plus production, it’s possible this Ursula spinoff could also end up as a streaming exclusive. Rob Marshall’s The Little Mermaid remake, however, is on course to be released in theaters, probably sometime in 2022.
Published: Jun 21, 2021 08:43 am