Casting a live-action Disney character must be way harder than we give casting directors credit for. You want someone who embodies the spirit of the character, but you also have to decide if you want someone who looks exactly like the cartoon version, or if you want to go in a new creative direction.
It looks like The Little Mermaid is going for a bit of both.
When Halle Bailey was cast as Ariel, there was a lot of backlash against that call. The movie also had some drama when it was rumored that Harry Styles would be playing Prince Eric, but that ended up not being the case either.
Some fans think that Gordon Ramsay should play Chef Louis which I think would be incredible — it's like the role was made for him!
Fans are also on board for Terry Crews playing King Triton, which I also agree with.
Some sources are reporting that country musician Kacey Musgraves has had a few Zoom meetings with Disney surrounding her potential casting as Vanessa, Ursula's human form.
Personally, I think it would be a genius move — they look so much alike!
I think it's inspired!
I'm so excited for this movie because all of the cast so far seems incredible, especially since Melissa McCarthy will be playing Ursula! What do you think? Let us know your opinion in the comments below!
