Ali
The internet has responded to Melissa McCarthy’s anointment as Ursula, the villain at the center of the upcoming live-action “Little Mermaid” redo.
While the web has been quick to hurl tomatoes at the casting, before anyone else comments they might be best served to cast their minds back to when Will Smith was announced as ‘The Genie’ in another Disney redo “Aladdin”, a film which not only snared Smith bravura reviews but the biggest box-office returns on any film in his colossal career. So, clearly, Disney know what they’re doing. A little faith, peeps.
You have one job @Disney don't mess up Little Mermaid! Melissa McCarthy for Ursula? I'm sorry but no.
You can hire:
A Drag Queen
Queen Latifa
Lizzo
Keala Settle
Tituss burgess— ?? Isabel Sophia Dieppa-Betancourt ? (@IsabelSDieppa) June 28, 2019
casting melissa mccarthy as ursula means that the only characteristic that mattered to directors about Ursula is that she’s fat… sigh.
— katie? (@suwanneeladykt) June 29, 2019
melissa mccarthy as ursula is breaking me……. pic.twitter.com/lLlzMOBUcW
— Madison ➐ (@BTSORIKU) June 28, 2019
Now, fair enough, the character of Ursula in the 1989 film was inspired by legendary drag queen ‘Divine’. So, yes, I get the interest in casting a drag queen in that, but again, we weren’t in on the screen tests or read – McCarthy might’ve simply blown everyone away with her take.
McCarthy, an Oscar nominee for last year’s “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”, would swim under the tutelage of Rob Marshall (“Chicago”), the assigned director of the film.
