#INTERVIEW: DISNEY’S “THE LITTLE MERMAID”

By Mr. Will Wong

After its debut in 1989, Disney animated feature THE LITTLE MERMAID would go on to become a global phenomenon, winning Golden Globes and Oscars, in addition to winning the hearts of a generation of fans. Some 34 years later, we get Rob Marshall‘s live-action adaptation of this tale of a mermaid who seeks to carve her own path, finding love with a human prince is about to enchant a new generation once again.

We were delighted to join a global press conference with the Director, Composer and Producer of Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID. In-attendance were:

Halle Bailey (Ariel)
Jonah Hauer-King (Prince Eric)
Daveed Diggs (Sebastian)
Awkwafina (Scuttle)
Jacob Tremblay (Flounder)
Melissa McCarthy (Ursula)
Javier Bardem (King Triton)
Noma Dumezweni (Queen Selina)
Alan Menken (Composer)
John DeLuca (Producer)
Rob Marshall (Director/Producer)

Two-time Oscar nominee Melissa McCarthy plays Sea Witch Ursula. She talks about the excitement of people finally seeing this labour of love, which began production five years ago. She and her castmates attended last night’s Hollywood Premiere, which was a grand street-shutting affair.

McCarthy: “It’s really exciting. It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve done it, you’re like ‘Do they really shut it down? Is the whole street blue?’. This is why I love movies, making them and everything got kind of exciting. It’s been such a long labour of love. It’s taken a while to make this beautiful thing. It’s like sending the kids off on a bus.”.

“This is the first time my kids have wanted to come to a premiere. I was nervous, but also excited they were there. They loved the Movie so much. It was fun seeing them be excited about seeing people and meeting them. They were like, ‘Oh my God, Halle is sitting behind us!’”.

Halle Bailey who stars in the plum role of Ariel, talks about her sister Chloe, who happens to be other half of their duo Chloe x Halle, finally seeing her breakthrough performance on-screen last night.

Bailey: “My sister is my best friend, she’s my rock and so yesterday was her first time seeing the Film! She cried. She was squeezing my hand so tight the whole time. I’m just so happy she loved it. And I can pat myself on the back that my big sister loved it.”.

Bailey also recalls the moment she learned she got the call from Director Rob Marshall.

Bailey: “My first reaction was sobbing.  I think we had just celebrated my sister’s birthday, before renting an Airbnb and I got this call from Rob. I don’t answer unknown numbers. And my baby brother said. ‘Answer your phone!’ and I was like okay. It was Rob and he said, “Hello, I’m looking for Ariel!’. I was just crying the whole day.”.

Jonah Hauer-King is a real revelation as Prince Eric in this live-action adaptation and he talks about the warm reception the Film has gotten already.

Hauer-King: “It’s horrendous having to sing on-screen with a Grammy-nominated Artist in a film. That’s not fun for anyone. It was an amazing night and I think the reaction from the audience to the music was incredible. It felt like such a warm reaction, so much great energy in the room. It was quite special.”.

Hamilton star Daveed Diggs plays lovable crab Sebastian and though his castmates had seen the Film prior, it was his first time seeing it.  He compares the experience working on The Little Mermaid to that of his theatre roots.

Diggs: “It was my first time seeing it and this song came on that I hadn’t heard before, and the audible ‘SING!’ in the audience. I was unaware you could do that!”

“It’s big, but the way we worked on it wasn’t big. We worked on it like it was a small thing. It felt like Community Theatre, pushing boxes around. We got in this groove and this is how you make Art. We understand something everyone could wrap their arms around and knew it inside and out.  When you watch it on this massive screen, we never saw any of that. It’s really cool to see something you only thought existed in your imagination.  I thought we were just building a world inside of our heads.”.

Academy Award-winner Javier Bardem stars as King Triton, Ariel’s father and describes taking-in the Film for the first time and also working with on-screen daughter, Bailey.

Bardem: “I’m sorry about my voice. That’s why I don’t have a song in the Movie! I loved the energy, it was amazing. People were honestly truly, deeply moved by it.  Everybody was cheering and supporting the hard work a lot of people have done with this Movie.”.

“Right in the moment I met her (Bailey), I fell for her. She has this thing where you can’t help but love her unconditionally. That was the first day. The rest of the Movie we just had fun and enjoyed the process. It was easy for us to connect. I was mesmerized by the quality of her performance – as an Actress and how much courage she had going to places she had to go.”.

Canada’s Jacob Tremblay continues to make us proud and he voices Flounder, one of Ariel’s three confidantes on her journey. He talks about the experience voicing his role in-person. And despite being born long after the timeless 1989 predecessor of this new version, it still was a part of his growing-up.

Tremblay: “We were all together for quite some time in-studio in England and got to know each other so well. That helped with the voicework. I preferred it more than being in a booth or on Zoom like during Covid. It was a privilege to be together and to do our scenes together.”.

 “I think just because it came out quite some time before I was born, I don’t remember not knowing the characters. It was still a big part of my childhood. I watched it quite a few times before going-in to film. I had to embody Flounter’s anxiety, but at the same time make sure I made it my own. It was great with everyone there, being able to riff off each other.”.

Awkwafina is a real scene-stealer as Scuttle, the seagull who joins forces with Sebastian and Flounder.  Like Tremblay, she describes the unique experience of collaborating in-person here. She also talks about the importance of diversity on-screen – which feels seamless here – and also how she relates to her character.

Awkwafina: “This is the first time I’ve ever read a scene with other Actors.  Usually we’re in a booth, while other Actors or the Director reads with you. It all just happened there and there were other people there too. That one day was where most of our performances came from.”.

“It really reflects the world we live in and everyone deserves to see themselves on-screen. This Movie also just celebrates really amazing performances. I did enjoy Scuttle and enjoyed watching it. I am Scuttle after like two Margaritas on a Tuesday. I’m very neurotic. I am Scuttle for sure.”.

Bailey tells us about the kinship between her and her character Ariel.

Bailey: “I tell people all the time that Ariel has helped me find myself and this young woman version of me. This was five years of my life, 18 to 23, those were intense transformative years developing as a young woman. The Film’s themes of what she had to go through – her passion, drive and speaking up for herself. What might be scary, she went for it. I try to adopt and give to Halle now.”.

Hauer-King talks about how while The Little Mermaid is fantastical, it actually is quite grounded in reality. He also reveals how this Film approaches the love story between Ariel and Prince Eric from a new lens.

Hauer-King: “It was a great privilege and a huge honour. The whole Film feels grounded in reality. Watching it last night made me realize for all of us even though we were living in a fantasy space, it feels really connected to the real world.  Being a Disney Prince is weird, isn’t it?”.

“Disney romances are always filled with instinctive attraction to one another. What was fun about this was that it came from our off-screen selves. Looking at Ariel and Eric as two people who were kindred spirits, restless and behind four walls of their respective castles looking outward and not in. Their relationship feels earned, teaching each other things, excited and fascinated by each other’s worlds and didn’t know it till the end. That’s what makes it last and special – the friendship tied to it.”.

Laurence Olivier Award-winning Thespian Noma Dumezweni stars as Prince Eric’s mother Queen Selina in the Film. She attributes the Film’s perfection to Director Rob Marshall.

Dumezweni: “It’s the spectacle and herding cats of it. It’s about making extraordinary people feel comfortable with what they’re doing. Rob and Jon (DeLuca, Producer) are theatre babies. Having a rehearsal on-set is such a rare thing in the TV and Film world. This is what we’re aiming for and we can be free when we’re doing it.”.

McCarthy also talks about the supportive space that Marshall created for her and her castmates.

McCarthy: “I remember the crazy 60-foot clamshell and trying not to cry every time I sang a melody. Rob sets-up this world like it is and this is why I fell in love with plays. It feels so small and you know it’s this enormous thing. If we all do our best, maybe we can make a show and it becomes so personal and everyone’s doing their best. And he’s swaddled in cashmere, quietly cheering everyone on from Actors to gorgeous camera moves and the Sound Department’s killing it. I have an appreciation of all the moving parts it takes to make a movie work. Having a cheerleader like that – we’re just so fortunate. The world wouldn’t be so mad if it had such a soft, gentle cheerleader.”.

Legendary Composer Alan Menken gets to see his compositions for The Little Mermaid take on a second life here in this new adaptation.  He sings high praise for Bailey.

Menken: “She’s adorable, so talented and you can’t take your eyes off her. The emotion is on her face and in her voice, she’s Halle Bailey, a delicious person and amazing Ariel.  You see it in levels.”.

Rob Marshall recalls Bailey being the first person he had seen for the role of Ariel and she set the benchmark with her audition off the bat.

Marshall: “The first Actor we saw for role was Halle.  The first thing she did was sing for us and sang that song. She shut her eyes and sang that song. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. She’s so deeply connected to what she’s singing about, so emotional and beautiful. How is it that we’ve been doing it for five minutes and already have found Ariel?  We saw hundreds of Actors, every ethnicity, but she claimed the role for her.”.

Walt Disney Studios Canada release THE LITTLE MERMAID May 26, 2023.

(Photo/video credit: Disney)

#FIRSTLOOK: “THE CROSSOVER” NEW TRAILER

Today, Disney+ released the official trailer for its highly anticipated original series “The Crossover.” From Disney Branded Television, the series is based on the critically acclaimed best-selling novel in-verse by Kwame Alexander and stars an ensemble cast of series regulars, including Derek Luke, Daveed Diggs and more. All episodes of the series begin streaming April 5, 2023 only on Disney+.

“The Crossover” is a heartwarming, poignant story about a family of basketball players. The series introduces teen brothers Josh (Jalyn Hall) and Jordan (Amir O’Neil) Bell, widely considered basketball phenoms. Through his lyrical poetry, an adult version of Josh, aka Filthy (Daveed Diggs), narrates the story of he and his brother’s coming-of-age, on and off the court, as their former professional basketball player father adjusts to life after basketball and their mother finally pursues lifelong dreams of her own.

In addition to Hall, O’Neil and Diggs, the series also stars Derek Luke as the former professional basketball player and the boys’ father and coach Chuck Bell; Sabrina Revelle as the family matriarch Crystal Bell, who is more about GPA than NBA; Deja Monique Cruz as the Bell brothers’ best friend Maya, who is not so secretly in love with Filthy; Trevor Raine Bush as Bell brothers’ teammate and best friend Vondie; and Skyla I’Lece as Alexis, a childhood friend who recently returned to town and is catching the eye of both Bell brothers. Phylicia Rashad guest stars as the boys’ grandmother and Chuck’s mom, Barbara, who is a fountain of love and wisdom.

The Disney+ Original series “The Crossover,” is produced by 20th Television for Disney Branded Television. Kwame Alexander, Damani Johnson and Kimberly A. Harrison serve as executive producers and co-showrunners. The SpringHill Company’s LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Jamal Henderson and Lezlie Wills also executive produce alongside George Tillman Jr., Bob Teitel, Robert Prinz and Jay Marcus of State Street Pictures, and Daveed Diggs, Todd Harthan and Erin O’Malley.

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “HAMILTON”

Here’s your first look at HAMILTON, coming soon to Disney+!

Synopsis:

An unforgettable cinematic stage performance, the filmed version of the original Broadway production of “Hamilton” combines the best elements of live theatre, film and streaming to bring the cultural phenomenon to homes around the world for a thrilling, once-in-a-lifetime experience. “Hamilton” is the story of America then, told by America now. Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway, “Hamilton” has taken the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and created a revolutionary moment in theatre—a musical that has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education.

Filmed at The Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway in June of 2016, the film transports its audience into the world of the Broadway show in a uniquely intimate way. With book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and direction by Thomas Kail, “Hamilton” is inspired by the book “Alexander Hamilton” by Ron Chernow and produced by Thomas Kail, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeffrey Seller, with Sander Jacobs and Jill Furman serving as executive producers. Filming was produced by RadicalMedia. The 11-time-Tony Award®-, GRAMMY Award®-, Olivier Award– and Pulitzer Prize-winning stage musical stars: Daveed Diggs as Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson; Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler; Jonathan Groff as King George; Christopher Jackson as George Washington; Jasmine Cephas Jones as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds; Lin-Manuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton; Leslie Odom, Jr. as Aaron Burr; Okieriete Onaodowan as Hercules Mulligan/James Madison; Anthony Ramos as John Laurens/Philip Hamilton; and Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton.

See the Trailer:

HAMILTON arrives on Disney+ Friday, July 3, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Disney)

#FIRSTLOOK: “HAMILTON” THE FILM OF THE ORIGINAL BROADWAY PRODUCTION

For the many of us who still haven’t see HAMILTON, Disney will be releasing a Film version of the 11-time TONY Award-winning Musical.

The live-capture Film breaks new ground, transporting its audience into the world of a Broadway show in a new way. The Cast in the Film will include Lin-Manuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton; Daveed Diggs as Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson; Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler; Leslie Odom, Jr. as Aaron Burr; Tony Award® nominees Christopher Jackson as George Washington; Jonathan Groff as King George; Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton; and Jasmine Cephas Jones as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds; Okieriete Onaodowan as Hercules Mulligan/James Madison; and Anthony Ramos as John Laurens/Philip Hamilton.

 

The Film was shot in June 2016 at at The Richard Rodgers Theatre.

HAMILTON will stream on Disney+ Friday, July 3, 2020.

 

(Photo credit: Joan Marcus)

#SUNDANCE: 2020 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL SIGHTINGS – WILL FERRELL, MILA KUNIS, NICHOLAS BRAUN, KERRY WASHINGTON, LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA, WILMER VALDERRAMA, AUBREY PLAZA, SARAH GADON + MORE

The star sightings continue to pour-in and our Amanda Gilmore doesn’t disappoint! See some of the talent she spotted out and about at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, Day Three!

 

DOWNHILL is about a couple married with kids, who barely escape an avalanche on a trip, only to be forced to confront finally how they feel about one another.

Will Ferrell

 

 

FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME centers on “pre-Hamilton” Lin-Manuel Miranda and the improv Hip-Hop movement he was part of, the Documentary following their reunion in 2019.

Lin-Manuel Miranda

 

ZOLA centers on a Stripper who goes on a wild road trip to Florida. This Film is getting a startling amount of buzz out of the Festival and stars Riley Keough.

Nicholas Braun

 

FOUR GOOD DAYS is about a mother who helps her daughter in recovery from substance abuse. Glenn Close and Mila Kunis both star in the Drama.

Mila Kunis

 

THE FIGHT is a Documentary which centers on the tsunami of lawsuits against the Trump administration which came about shortly after he got elected.

Kerry Washington (Producer)

 

BLACK BEAR is about a female Filmmaker who turns to the woods after having some creative struggles, only for the woods to summon her inner demons.

Aubrey Plaza

 

Sarah Gadon

 

Christopher Abbott

 

Wilmer Valderrama

 

SNOWPIERCER (Netflix TV Series) centers on a world that has become a frozen wasteland and the group of people left who inhabit a train which circles the globe. Parasite Director Bong Joon Ho serves as a Producer on the Series which stars Jennifer Connelly and Daveed Diggs.

Daveed Diggs

 

(Photo credit: Amanda Gilmore)