‘The Little Mermaid’ Teaser: Ursula’s Villainous Cackle Threatens to Drown Out Halle Bailey’s Voice

The live adaption of The Little Mermaid introduced its audience to the new Ariel last year when Halle Bailey’s heavenly vocals were put on full display in the film’s first-look teaser trailer. Singing “Part of Your World,” the mermaid moved through the ocean and looked towards the surface with wonder in her eyes. But in a new preview of the film, a villainous laugh threatens to dull her light and drown out her voice.

In the final five seconds of the teaser, Melissa McCarthy makes her debut as the infamous Ursula. Under the hue of deep purple lights, the sea witch appears with black eyeshadow up to her equally as dark, thinned-out eyebrows. Her chuckle is more of a cackle laced with impending doom.

Last year, McCarthy recalled the first time she heard Bailey sing as Ariel. At least her reaction was far less evil than her character’s. “I had a truly, really — not weird reaction, just overwhelming,” McCarthy told Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live. “It’s so beautiful and it’s just different. That girl has got roots down and she sings from her heart. When I heard it, there were like seven of us that just burst out crying because we had not heard it. She’s a remarkable young woman.”

In theaters May 26, The Little Mermaid builds on the original animated film with the addition of four new songs. Alongside Bailey and McCarthy, with direction from Rob Marshall, the cast is rounded out by Javier Bardem, Awkwafina, and Jacob Tremblay.

From Rolling Stone US.