Why Melissa McCarthy’s Little Mermaid Casting Was So Divisive

Disney’s live-action remake little Mermaid Before it was first shared, it received a lot of criticism for many reasons and ways, and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula was no exception. The live-action remake trend continues at Disney, and what’s next little MermaidBased on Andersen’s 1837 fairy tale of the same name. little Mermaid Directed by Rob Marshall, with music by legendary composer Alan Menken and new songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the remake is expected to tell the same story as the animated classic. , with a few changes.

little MermaidYou’ll then see Ariel (Halle Bailey) dubbed the mermaid, falling in love with the human prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) and having an affair with the sea witch Ursula (Halle Bailey). Melissa McCarthy (Melissa McCarthy) makes a deal to turn human, so she’ll make her human, but it’s a huge bonus, and Ariel loses her voice. Even if it’s just a glimpse little Mermaid Already shared, the film has been embroiled in controversy, mainly due to its cast, with Halle Bailey receiving unwanted and offensive comments, and Melissa McCarthy’s casting proving quite decent. cause division.

Why Melissa McCarthy’s The Little Mermaid Is Criticized

live-action remake little Mermaid In 2016, it was announced that it was in early development, but the cast wasn’t announced until 2019. in talks for the role of Awkwafina and Jacob Tremblay has been confirmed as the respective Scuttle voiced by Flounder. Halle Bailey was announced as the new Ariel in July 2019, sparking backlash after Disney cast a black actress to play the beloved mermaid. There has also been a lot of criticism for the Mouse House’s casting of Melissa McCarthy as Ursula amid racist and offensive comments, posts and videos aimed at Bailey and Disney.

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The casting of Bailey, along with Javier Bardem being cast as King Triton, suggests that Disney wants to be more inclusive and diverse with its live-action films, but that doesn’t seem to be the case with the casting. Ursula. Ursula’s live-action remake is a perfect opportunity for Disney to get some proper LGBTQ+ representation (which the studio is notoriously bad at), and even do a cross-dressing show for consideration. the inspiration behind the sea witch version of the cartoon. The Queen took the lead role, but the Mouse House chose a transgender actress instead.

Was The Mermaid’s Ursula Inspired by Drag Queens?

Ursula in The Little Mermaid shows off her body language

Although it is considered an urban legend by Disney, little MermaidUrsula was inspired by a drag queen, and a very famous drag queen in that field: Divine. Ursula’s design has undergone many changes during production little Mermaid, depending on who will voice the character. Directors and writers John Musker and Ron Clements wanted Bea Arthur to voice Ursula because they wrote the role for her, but her agent refused to hand over the script to the actress, while the producer Howard Ashman tried to voice Joan Collins but failed. After a long and tedious casting process, the two finalists were Charlotte Ray and Elaine Stritch, the latter taking on the role only after a short while of being fired, so Pat Carroll ended the casting for Ursula Dub .

Now, because of this, Ursula’s early sketches resemble Charlotte Ray’s, while Elaine Stritch’s casting inspired a redesign based on stingrays and scorpionfish. After more alterations and using other sea creatures as the basis for Ursula’s design, the sea witch’s design was finally inspired by the legendary drag queen Divine. There are many similarities between them, most especially the eyes. Makeup, body shape and jewelry. Divine didn’t get the chance to voice Ursula after his death in 1988, but his bubbly and flamboyant personality inspired one of Disney’s most beloved villains.

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Why Melissa McCarthy Will Be Big Ursula In The Little Mermaid

Melissa McCarthy in Identity Theft (2013)

While criticizing Disney for not seizing the opportunity to cast the drag queen as Ursula little Mermaid There’s nothing wrong with a live-action remake and Melissa McCarthy is sure to make Ursula great. Although McCarthy is not a member of the LGBTQ+ community, she revealed in 2014 (via huffington song) She once appeared in a stand-up comedy as a drag queen and named Miss Y, she cares so much about the community that she can still pay tribute to her inspiration. The inspiration behind Ursula while giving the character its own personality. It would also be interesting to see McCarthy play a villain (and one who can sing!), as she’s mostly known for her comedic roles and Ursula isn’t really a comedian. little Mermaid Getting it right can still make a positive difference, wait for the release now.

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