The Little Mermaid Trailer: Melissa McCarthy Transforms into Ursula Alongside Halle Bailey’s Ariel

The trailer for the The Little Mermaid, starring Halle Bailey, reveals Melissa McCarthy's wicked transformation as villain Ursula.

By Angie Orellana Hernandez Mar 13, 2023 2:05 AMTags
Watch: Halle Bailey Unveils Magical Little Mermaid Poster

We cannot wait to go under the sea with Halle Bailey.

The official trailer for Disney's The Little Mermaid—starring the Grown-ish actress as the titular character—was unveiled on March 12 at the 2023 Oscars.

The trailer sees Ariel rescues Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) from a fiery boat wreck. The heroic action results in a scolding from her father King Triton, played by Javier Bardem, who states, "You broke the rules, you went to the above world."

Though her father declares that her "obsession with humans has to stop," Ariel replies back, "I just want to know more about them."

Through a series of breath-taking aquatic scenes, viewers watch Ariel seek the help of Ursula—played by Melissa McCarthy who dons wispy white hair and dramatic black eyeshadow—in order to explore a world above the sea.

Starring in the movie was emotional for Halle, who told E! News' Francesca Amiker at the 2023 Kids' Choice Awards what it was like watching herself portray a Disney princess.

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The Cast of Disney's Live-Action The Little Mermaid

"I've seen a rough cut, and I was just sobbing the whole time," she said. "It's just very weird to watch myself. I've never seen myself that way and I just get really emotional just thinking about it."

Walt Disney Studios

Adding that she's ready for the film "to finally be out," Halle reflected on the high anticipation surrounding the movie.

"I am ready for everyone to finally see this film," she continued. "We have worked on it for a long time, we've been talking about it for a long time, but now we're finally going to see it and I'm just grateful."

Head to E! Online's Oscars page for a full recap of the 2024 Academy Awards.