» THE LITTLE MERMAID Cast Makes a Splash at Global Press Conference

The classic Disney animated film, THE LITTLE MERMAID, rises once again to the surface in a vibrant live-action adaptation, directed by Rob Marshall and featuring music from Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman, and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Desde Hollywood attended the Press Conference, featuring the film’s main cast: Halle Bailey as Ariel, Jonah Hauer-King as Eric, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, Awkwaﬁna as Scuttle, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, Noma Dumezweni as The Queen, Art Malik as Sir Grimsby, with Javier Bardem as King Triton and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula.

Dive into some highlights from the refreshing Q&A event!

THE LITTLE MERMAID is now playing in theaters nationwide.

Ariel is the Disney princess, and now you have been bestowed that. Do you feel like you have kind of a kinship with her just any way? Do you feel like you and Ariel have things in common?

Halle Bailey: “Absolutely. I mean, I tell people all the time I feel like Ariel truly has helped me find myself and like this young woman version of me, you know, because I, well, it’s been five years of my life now. From 18 to now being 23, so those are like very intense like transformative years as you’re developing as a young woman. But I feel like especially these themes of the film and what she had to go through with her passions and drive and speaking up for herself, and even though it may be scary, she went for it. I feel like those things I really try to adopt and give to Halle now. So, she’s taught me so much, for sure.”

King Triton has to be a helicopter parent, and you were like he’s the ultimate helicopter parent. Don’t go five feet away from me. But like what about the relationship that you all just, you know, developed with each other? Did you have a little bit of a paternal feeling over here?

Javier Bardem: “Oh, yes. Right in the moment I met her, I just fell for her. I mean, she has this thing where you just can’t help yourself but love her unconditionally. So, that was done on the first day. So, the rest will be just having fun with it and enjoying the process and I feel it was easy for us just to connect and [dance?] together. And I was always mesmerized by the quality of her as a performer, let alone the singing that I knew. But as an actress, how willing and courageous she is. And in going to the places that she had to go to. And that was amazing.”

Jonah, we know being a Disney princess is a big deal, but being a Disney prince is nothing to sneeze at either. Are we ready for this?

Jonah Hauer-King: “I don’t know if I’m ready for it, to be honest. But yeah, it’s a great privilege. It’s a huge honor, but I think what’s special about this is it’s all, I don’t know, the whole story, the whole film feels very grounded in reality. So, the Disney prince and the Disney princess aspect is amazing and it’s fun and exciting, but I think watching it last night made me realize that for all of us, even though we’re living in this fantasy space, it just feels really connected to the world and to the real world. And the themes feel connected to the real world now. So, yeah, but who knows? I mean, being a Disney prince is weird, isn’t it? It’s kind of weird.”

What was the best part of filming, and then what was the most challenging thing for you for this film?

Melissa McCarthy: “It was the rehearsal, it was the crazy 60-foot clam shell. It was trying so desperately not to cry every time you sang a melody because I was like, I don’t want her to think I’m crazy, as, like, tears are running down my face. The whole process. Rob Marshall, I think we all agree, sets up this world that it is like why I fell in love with plays. It feels so small and yet you know it’s this enormous thing, but it just feels like if we all do our best, like, maybe we can make a show.”

Awkwafina, what does like seeing this cast, the diversity of it, just the naturalness of it, and what it means to audiences?

Awkwaﬁna: “I mean, I think that as you said, I think it reflects the world we live in. And I think that everyone deserves to see themselves on screen.”

Do you feel a kinship with Scuttle?

Awkwaﬁna: “Yes, I do feel a kinship with Scuttle. I mean, like I am Scuttle. Like after like two margaritas, you know what I mean, on a Tuesday. I mean, we have that we’re neurotic, things like that. Yeah. Yeah, I am Scuttle.”

Were you familiar with Flounder or did you go back and like watch the film multiple times?

Jacob Tremblay: “Yeah, no, I don’t remember not knowing about the movie and not knowing the characters. So, it was cool ’cause obviously is still a big part of my childhood and I love the film. I did definitely watch it quite a few times before going to film because I did wanna make sure that you know when people watch the film, they felt like it was Flounder because obviously there’s a lot of things that I had to embody like his, I guess, like his anxiety and his anxiousness. But at the same time, I wanted to make sure I made him my own, and I think that’s when like having everyone there really came in just being able to riff off each other.”

THE LITTLE MERMAID is now playing in theaters nationwide.

The youngest of King Triton’s daughters and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea and, while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart. She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land but ultimately places her life – and her father’s crown – in jeopardy.