Disney is officially moving forward with their live-action Little Mermaid, and we've got casting news for characters like Ariel, Flounder, and Scuttle. The search is still on for who will play the main villain Ursula, and rumors have been coming out that Melissa McCarthy is in talks. In a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, McCarthy addresses the rumors.
The bit starts at 10:55:
McCarthy jokingly goes, "What's that? Disney? I hadn't heard about that. It seems like it would be an awfully fun thing to do. I'd love it if Disney gave me a little ringy-dingy. We'll see. If it did [happen] it would be very wonderful."
Based on the way McCarthy was talking, it's like she's implying that she has been in talks for the film, but with all the secrecy surrounding these projects, I imagine she's not been allowed to spill anything publicly.
When the rumors first came out that McCarthy was in talks, there was actually a lot of pushback from some fans online. If you did your research, you'll know that Ursula was based on 70s drag queen Divine, and a lot of people thought it was the perfect time to have a drag artist play the villain for the film.
Personally, I think that Titus Burgess would be a good choice for the role. He's played Sebastian for The Little Mermaid on Broadway, but he seems to really want to take on Ursula.
No release date has been set for The Little Mermaid.
See Also: The Little Mermaid: PotC's Javier Bardem Said to be in Talks to Play King Triton