Disney added The Little Mermaid to its list of films to adapt from cartoon canon to live-action status in 2016, and it has been slowly chugging its way through development since then. Mary Poppins Returns' Rob Marshall is on to direct, and now he's found his first potential piece of casting. Melissa McCarthy is in the middle of a deal to play sea witch Ursula.
The story of Ariel, the young mermaid who makes a Faustian bargain with Ursula to gain legs and win the heart of a prince was famously brought to the screen in animated form by the Mouse House back in 1989 to Oscar-winning results.
Now original composer Alan Menken is back to write some additional tunes, working alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda, who appeared in Returns. Fellow Poppins sequel veteran David Magee is behind the script for the new version, which will look to add some contemporary flavour to the story and music.
McCarthy, normally found in raucous comedies, earned an Oscar nomination for her dramatic work in Can You Ever Forgive Me? She's sticking with drama for The Kitchen, out on 20 September, and returns to the comedy world with Superintelligence, due in the States on 20 December, but currently without a UK release as of right now