Melissa McCarthy may be ready to help some poor unfortunate souls in Disney’s live-action version of The Little Mermaid. According to sources, while the deal is not yet completed, Melissa is in early talks to play the sea witch Ursula in the live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid.

 As Disney preps its live-action version of the undersea tale, there’s a lot of buzz about the cast. Disney and the production team behind it are looking to make contemporary and compelling casting choices, while still paying homage to the beloved animated original.

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Mary Poppins Returns director Rob Marshall is helming. The film will incorporate the original songs from the 1989 animated hit as well as new tunes from Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Lin is also producing the film along with Marshall, Marc Platt and John DeLuca. David Magee wrote the script.

The original version followed a mermaid princess who sought to meet a human prince on land. Menken wrote the music, including the Oscar-winning Under the Sea, Part of Your World and Kiss the Girl. As for Melissa, the multi-talented actress will get her chance at singing Poor Unfortunate Souls, one of the classic villain songs in the Disney archive.

This will mark one of the first family-friendly roles for Melissa, who has built her career on adult comedies including Spy, The Heat and Bridesmaids, which earned her an Oscar nomination for best-supporting actress. She was most recently seen in Can You Ever Forgive Me?  a dramatic turn that also earned her an Oscar nomination, this time for best actress.

(Source: Variety)