New trailer gives first look at Melissa McCarthy as witch Ursula in ‘The Little Mermaid’

We are finally getting a glimpse of Melissa McCarthy as the villain in Disney’s live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid.”

The latest 30-second trailer for the film, released yesterday, gives us a sneak peek at McCarthy’s Ursula with much of her face hidden behind a tentacle — and it ends with her evil laugh. Her first appearance is barely one second long, but fans are still excited to see how the sea witch looks and sounds in this new adaptation.

While some are poking fun at how quick her debut is, others took to Twitter to say how excited they are for the film. One fan says McCarthy is “going to KILL it as Ursula,” while another jokingly said they fear she may be “too powerful.”

@SkylerShuler said it’s her laugh that really “screams Ursula.”

You can watch the 30-second teaser trailer below, but don’t blink or you’ll miss McCarthy’s very quick appearance at the end.

You may also want to turn the brightness up on your phone because the trailer is very dark. (It does take place under the sea, after all!)

If it feels like the film has been in production for years, you’re right. The film was confirmed all the way back in 2016, with Halle Bailey cast as Ariel in 2019.

Bailey, who is in the R&B group Chloe x Halle with her sister, is both a singer and actor. Before becoming pop stars, the sisters created a YouTube channel where they covered songs from artists like Rihanna, Alicia Keys and Beyoncé. After racking up 10 million views on a cover of Beyoncé’s “Pretty Hurts,” the Queen Bey herself signed them to her management company. The sisters have also acted in numerous projects together and apart starting in 2003, including the ABC show “Grown-ish.”

“After an extensive search, it was abundantly clear that Halle possesses that rare combination of spirit, heart, youth, innocence and substance — plus a glorious singing voice — all intrinsic qualities necessary to play this iconic role,” “The Little Mermaid” director Rob Marshall said in a statement about the casting decision.

Production on “The Little Mermaid” was scheduled to start in April of 2020, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Filming finally began in early 2021 and finished in July of that year. The first trailer for the movie came out in September 2022, making a lot of little girls happy.

Other big names starring in the live-action remake include Awkwafina as Scuttle the seagull, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder the fish and “Hamilton” star Daveed Diggs as the voice of Sebastian the crab. Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda will be writing new songs for the film.

“The Little Mermaid” is scheduled for release in theaters on May 26, 2023.