The latest clip from the upcoming Disney remake of The Little Mermaid transforms an iconic moment from animation into live action as Ariel finds herself making a deal with the nefarious sea witch, Ursula. Shared to social media by Academy Award nominee Melissa McCarthy, who stars as the treacherous and tentacled Ursula in the remake, this latest look at The Little Mermaid should give fans of the Disney classic an idea of how well the original will translate into live action. Check out the new clip below.
“If a deal sounds too good to be true it probably is… swim away!!!!!” McCarthy says in a caption alongside the footage, which sees the naive Ariel signing away her voice in exchange for legs and thus enabling to walk on land and pursue Prince Eric, whom she has loved from afar.
The Little Mermaid is a retelling of the beloved story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. The youngest of King Triton’s daughters and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea and, while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart. She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land but ultimately places her life – and her father’s crown – in jeopardy.
The Little Mermaid Early Reactions Have Been Incredibly Positive
Following this week’s premiere of The Little Mermaid, we finally have some idea of how this latest live action remake will fare against its animated predecessor. And things have been incredibly positive so far. One reaction calls The Little Mermaid “the best Disney live-action adaptation to date. Halle Bailey IS Ariel. Major props to the sound effects team. Good changes, though one new song with too much autotune. Could watch this version’s Under the Sea all day, it was the highlight of the whole thing.”
Much praise has been heaped on Halle Bailey as Ariel, with another reactions calling the remake “FANTASTIC! Rob Marshall’s great direction gives us one of Disney’s best live-action remakes and a joyful theatrical experience. @HalleBailey is PERFECT as #Ariel and is the heart of the movie. It’s an ENCHANTING journey under the sea I can’t wait to rewatch!”
Others have commended The Little Mermaid for retaining “the heart and soul of the story we know and love” as well as elevating iti “even further by a note-perfect star-making performance from Halle Bailey – she was born to be on the big screen, & she’s why this new take is worth watching.”
Directed by Oscar nominee Rob Marshall with a screenplay by two-time Oscar nominee David Magee, and starring singer and actress Halle Bailey (grown-ish) as Ariel alongside Jonah Hauer-King (A Dog’s Way Home), Daveed Diggs (Hamilton), Awkwafina (Raya and the Last Dragon), Jacob Tremblay (Luca), Noma Dumezweni (Mary Poppins Returns), Art Malik (Homeland), Oscar winner Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men), and two-time Academy Award nominee Melissa McCarthy (Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Bridesmaids), The Little Mermaid is scheduled to be released theatrically on May 26, 2023.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
