Movies - The Little Mermaid : Our talent global press conference transcription

By Mulder, Los Angeles, 09 may 2023

The Little Mermaid is a 2023 American musical fantasy film directed by Rob Marshall from a screenplay written by David Magee. Co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures, DeLuca Marshall, and Marc Platt Productions, it is a live-action adaptation of Disney's 1989 animated film of the same name, which itself is loosely based on the 1837 fairy tale of the same title by Hans Christian Andersen. The film stars Halle Bailey in the titular role, alongside Jonah Hauer-King, Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, Noma Dumezweni, Javier Bardem, and Melissa McCarthy. The Little Mermaid follows a mermaid princess Ariel who makes a deal with a treacherous sea witch Ursula to trade her voice to human legs in order to impress Prince Eric, who is saved from a shipwreck, before the time runs out. Plans for a remake of 1989's The Little Mermaid were confirmed in May 2016. Marshall joined the film as director in December 2017, and much of the main cast signed on from June to November 2019. Production was expected to begin in London between late March and early April 2020 but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nischelle : Hello everyone. How are you today? My name is Nischelle Turner and welcome to The Little Mermaid press conference. You see the cast is all here. Before we get started, I want to remind you guys really quick to please input your questions in that Q and A function that you have there 'cause I wanna get to as many questions as I can. I actually have a bunch that are coming in already. So, please make sure to do that now. I want to introduce the cast of The Little Mermaid. Everyone please welcome Numa Dumezweni. I just screwed that up.

Noma Dumezweni : Yes, darling. It's okay. [laugh]

Nischelle : Noma Dumezweni.

Noma Dumezweni : Beautiful. Now we're back. We're back. Ladies and gentlemen, we're back.

Nischelle : I was thinking because I just talked to you and I said I wanna make sure I get this right. And I'm thinking doom and I said noom and that really messed me up. 

Noma Dumezweni : The doom was a noom, yeah.

Nischelle : It messed me up on a Tuesday, Noma. [laugh]

Noma Dumezweni : Welcome. Good morning.

Nischelle : But now we got it straight. Noma Dumezweni. Thank you very much. Next to Noma is Daveed Diggs. Hello Daveed. And next to Daveed we've got Miss Awkwafina. Good morning.

Awkwafina : Yeah!

Nischelle : Good morning. And next to Awkwafina, we have our favorite 15 year old? 16 year old?

Jacob Tremblay : 16.

Nischelle : 16 year old Jacob Tremblay. How are you, Jacob?

Jacob Tremblay : Good.

Nischelle : And right here on the front, of course, we have the incomparable Javier Bardem. How are you? Next to Javier, Jonah Hauer-King. Hello. Good morning, Jonah. Looking a little different.

Jonah Hauer-King : I know. It's gone.

Nischelle : Not as prince-ish. You're a little like yeah, yeah. That's all right. We like it. We like it. And, of course, next to Jonah we have our Ariel herself, Halle Bailey. Hello Halle. Good morning to you.

Halle Bailey : Hi. Good morning.

Nischelle : And next to Halle, I mean, do we need any introduction? I guess we do.

Melissa McCarthy : Some people are like who?

Nischelle : Yeah. [laugh] It's Melissa McCarthy everybody. Welcome, you guys. Thank you for being here this morning, especially after a late night, exciting night for your big premiere. That carpet was amazing. I don’t know if you guys felt the energy there, but I'll just start with you Melissa because you're right here with me. Sometimes we get cynical. We've all been doing this for a long time, but there is such a pageantry for shutting down Hollywood Boulevard, bringing out your lip and your lash and really, you know what I'm saying? And really, what was that feeling last night when you knew okay, our baby's about to be born. People are gonna get to see this movie.

Melissa McCarthy : It is really exciting. It's like it doesn't matter how many times you've done it, you're like did they shut it down? Is it like shutting down? And is the whole street blue? And like it just seems like oh my gosh, this is like why I love movies, why I love making movies. It just everything got kind of exciting and like it just is so fun. This has been such a long labor of love because, you know, I mean, you've been doing this since you were 11. [laugh] But since you're 18, like it's just taken a while to make this beautiful thing. And I think to finally be there and to be like okay, there you go, good luck in school. You know, you kind of send the kids off on the bus. It was exciting.

Nischelle : Yeah. Halle, I was talking to your sister on the red carpet last night, and then here you come and she was like sorry, sorry, sorry, I gotta go. It's my sister. And you guys had that incredible moment on the red carpet where you got to see each other. Did that soothe your soul knowing that she was right there? Yeah.

Halle Bailey : Yes. Yeah. Absolutely. I mean, my sister is my best friend. She's my rock. And so, yesterday was actually her first time getting to see the film.

Nischelle : She told me she needed tissues. Did she cry?

Halle Bailey : Yeah. Yeah, she cried. And she was like squeezing my hand so tight the whole time. And I'm just so happy that she loved it and I feel like okay, I can pat myself on the back now. My big sister loved it. [laugh]

Nischelle : I have to tell you, Jonah, you were telling me yesterday too that you were a little apprehensive 'cause you had to sing, and it was a whole thing. But last night at the premiere, I mean, there were audible cheers and gasps after every single musical number. How did that feel hearing that from the audience last night?

Jonah Hauer-King : It was amazing. I mean, it is horrendous having to sing in a film with a Grammy nominated artist. That's not fun for anyone. With everyone's incredible voices and Melissa. But it was, yeah, it was an amazing night. I think the reaction from the audience to all of the music was incredible. It felt like such a warm reaction. There was so much great energy in the room, and it was quite special. Yeah.

Nischelle : Daveed, you were shaking your head when I was saying you could hear the cheers and stuff.

Daveed Diggs : Oh, well, in the middle of his song, it was my first time seeing it. And so, like his song came on which I hadn't heard before, and like the audible sing in the audience was [overlap]. I think I was unaware that you could do that, sir. [laugh] I was like yeah.

Nischelle : Yeah. Church fans say sing boy. That's a good thing. [laugh] That's a really good thing. Javier, did you feel that energy as well?

Javier Bardem : No. I was not in the theater. I left [overlap].

Nischelle : Oh, got it. Well, let me fill you in. I'll fill you in.

Melissa McCarthy : He stormed out.

Javier Bardem : [overlap] started to [indiscernible]. It was like no, yes, I felt it. I'm sorry about the voice. That's why I don't have a song in the movie. No, I loved the screening. I thought the energy was amazing. People were truly, deeply, honestly moved by it. And everybody was cheering and they were supporting the hard work that a lot of people has done with this movie.

Nischelle : Yeah. Jacob, you were telling me that this really has become to feel like a family for you. Jacob Tremblay : Yeah, yeah, for sure. Definitely.

Jacob Tremblay : I mean, we were all together for quite some time in the studio in England. And we just got to know each other so well. And that definitely really helped with the voice work. Because I preferred it so much better than kinda being in a booth and especially 'cause of covid. It would usually be on Zoom, but it was definitely a privilege that we all got to be together and we got to, you know, do our scenes together.

Nischelle : Now, if I made you sing right now, you told me you couldn't sing like that anymore, no?

Jacob Tremblay : No, not anymore, no. I would voice crack too much.

Nischelle : His voice changed, everybody. [laugh] Awkwafina, you know, Jacob was speaking to this, but it does lend to what all of you guys kind of talked about being a really, I don't know if unconventional is the right word, but unconventional, you know, rehearsal process and the way you went through. Because usually, especially when you do have live action or animation, a lot of times everyone's separate and you may not get that feel. Was this the first time you did that? And how was that?

Awkwafina : Yeah, I mean, definitely for me the first time I've ever read a scene with other actors. Usually, you know, you're in the booth and a lot of the times the other actors are, you know, like the directors just read them with you. But we were all able to do it and yeah. It just all happened there. And there were other people in the room too. It was like pretty crazy. That was like, yeah. And that one day is where most of our performances came
from. Yeah.

Nischelle : And that school of thought comes from Rob

Marshall, right, and how he kind of leads you through it. Noma, I know you've worked with Rob and John before,
correct?

Noma Dumezweni : Very briefly on Mary Poppins Returns. But I'm cool, yes.

Nischelle : What do you think made them so perfect for this film?

Noma Dumezweni : Oh, gosh. It's the spectacle of it. It's the herding cats of it. It's the making [overlap].

Nischelle : Herding cats. [laugh]

Noma Dumezweni : Yeah. Making extraordinary people feel very comfortable in doing what they're doing. The thing what I've absolutely clocked with Rob and John is that they're theater babies. And that's growing through the theater.

Noma Dumezweni : And that, for me, having a rehearsal on set is such a rare thing when I'm moving into the TV and film world. It's such a joy to go all right, this is what we're aiming for so we know it and then we can be free when we're doing it. Which is what I love about rehearsal. Sometimes we're having a TV set [indiscernible] I go I don't know what I'm doing. No, you don't know. Just do it. And it's terrifying. So, this was just joyous and [indiscernible] And therefore, you do get know people. But I'm sitting here and out of all these people, and that's what Rob and John are great at is they value each and every one of these performances. And there was a bit of my ego last I went, I have arrived.

Noma Dumezweni : They're glorious.

Nischelle : Mama, I made it. Here we are. [laugh]

Noma Dumezweni : Mama, I made it. Absolutely.

Nischelle : I love that. Halle, I wanna come back to you because, you know, 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.

Nischelle : I don't think that I have met anyone that doesn't say you do embody that spirit and what you see is what you get with Halle. Is everybody in agreement with that?

Noma Dumezweni : That's totally true.

Nischelle : Okay, well, I'm gonna ask your movie dad over here. You know, King Triton has to be a helicopter parent, and you were [laugh] 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 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 have fun with it and enjoy 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 courage she is. And in going to the places that she had to go to. And that was amazing.

Nischelle : I know when I saw the film, a big moment for me was when you were singing "Part of Your World" and there's that shot of her single on your face and you're holding that note. Baby, isn't that what Disney movies are made of?

Daveed Diggs : That's it. [laugh]

Nischelle : I mean, Daveed's back here getting emotional, having a moment right now.

Daveed Diggs : I'm gonna cry. I'm gonna [indiscernible].

Halle Bailey : Every time.

Daveed Diggs : I can't think about the moment without crying. [laugh]

Melissa McCarthy : Every time I see it, I'm like oh God, oh God. It was like I know it's coming. Don't, oh.

Nischelle : Can you look at that and be proud of yourself?

Halle Bailey : I can. For sure.

Nischelle : Okay, good.

Halle Bailey : I mean, it sounds like oh my gosh, they're being so nice and I'm so grateful to you guys. But these people are just, I feel like they're my family, and they're so talented and have inspired me for so
long. So, it's like the feeling is mutual to each and every one of you. And I'm just happy to be surrounded by
them.

Nischelle : Well, and looking at this cast, it looks like the world. So, for me, that's also a big win. Awkwafina, what does like seeing this cast, the diversity of it, just the naturalness of it and what it means to audiences. What do you think about that?

Awkwafina : I mean, I think that like you said, I think it reflects the world we live in. And I think that everyone deserves to see themselves on screen. And I think that this movie also just really celebrates, I think, really amazing performances as well.

Nischelle : Oh, you know you did the thing as Scuttle.

Awkwafina : Oh, oh, oh, I wasn't [indiscernible].

Nischelle : Yeah, but you did.

Awkwafina : Yeah, but I did enjoy Scuttle.

Nischelle : Oh, no, we're giving flowers all over the place today.

Awkwafina : [laugh] But no, I mean, yeah, it was so enjoyable. I loved watching it. It was so good. Nischelle : Okay, it felt like yes, you embody Scuttle. Was Scuttle like your favorite? I asked, you know, Halle if she felt a kinship with Ariel. Do you feel a kinship with Scuttle? 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. For sure.

Nischelle : Jacob, you know, the original movie came out before you were born. [laugh] It did.

Daveed Diggs : Stop bragging, Jacob.

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

Jacob Tremblay : Yeah, I think just because it came out quite sometime before I was born.

Daveed Diggs : All right.

Nischelle : I know. He's dating us all in here.

Daveed Diggs : That's enough. He is and he is.

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 like a big part of my childhood and I love the film.

Jacob Tremblay : But yeah, 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.

Nischelle : I think the looks on the little one's faces last night still sits with me and how in awe the little girls and little boys were and how excited they were to see this. And just even looking at the pictures of you all up on the red carpet and their eyes just got big. And actually, Melissa, I saw your kids and they were looking at your Ursula poster and they were kinda like it was great. It was a really great moment.

Melissa McCarthy : That's the first time they've come to a premiere and this is the first time they wanted to come. So, I was like nervous, but also excited that they were there. And they just loved the movie so much and it was fun to see  them get excited just about meeting people and seeing them. They were like oh my God, Halle's sitting behind us. And like they're, you know, they're jaded old young people. And so, I was just excited that they were so excited and like that the movie gave 'em so much joy. So, I was like okay.

Nischelle : Now, 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? And are you gonna grow that good hair back?

Jonah Hauer-King : This is two weeks of growth. This is coming back. I don't know if I'm ready for it, to be honest, but it was, yeah.

Noma Dumezweni : Better be ready.

Jonah Hauer-King : Well, thanks there. Noma keeps coming to me and going are you okay? Are you ready? Is this all right?

Nischelle : She's your mother.

Jonah Hauer-King : She looks after me like my mum. She was so good to  me. Thank you for that. Because the whole way through filming, she just put an arm around me like literally and metaphorically and was so good to me. So, thank you. I love you. 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.

Halle Bailey : So weird. [laugh] It's so weird.

Jonah Hauer-King : Yeah, it's weird. It's weird.

Nischelle : Can I tell on you?

Melissa McCarthy : I just wanna say, but you guys have given, instead of it being these caricatures, you've given them humanity.

Noma Dumezweni : Absolutely.

Melissa McCarthy : And you've tethered like that these are real people and that everyone like walks with the same problems and the same troubles and worries. And I think that's the big difference is you guys brought your humanity to the screen.

Jonah Hauer-King : Thank you. Thank you. Nischelle : That lends to this first press question here which I think is a really, really great one.

Nischelle : Jonah, it's for you from Rachel Leishman from The Mary Sue. Rachel says Eric and Ariel's love story is an iconic one, but you both did an amazing job bringing new life to it. What was your favorite new addition to their story that you got to explore with the two of you?

Jonah Hauer-King : Friendship, I think. Disney romances are always, you know, they're filled with that instinctive attraction to one another. We all wanna see that. But I think what was fun about this, and I think a lot of it came from our off screen selves as well, was looking at Ariel and Eric as two people who were kindred spirits who felt a little bit restless, who felt like they were behind the four walls of their respective castles, and were very much looking outwards and not in. And I think what was nice about that was that it meant that their relationship feels really earnt. They both felt like they were teaching each other things. They were excited and fascinated by each other's worlds although they didn't actually know it until the end. And so, that was really lovely because I think, actually Melissa said this yesterday, that I think it's a really good message for what it means to be in love and what it means to be in a relationship is ultimately tied to friendship. That's the fundamental thing of it. And that's why it lasts, and that's what makes it special. So, that was really fun to explore and it was easy 'cause, you
know, she's a riot, so we kinda got on fine. Nischelle : Can I tell on Jonah a little bit? He did tell me he had a bit of a fanboy moment. And he didn't wanna tell you at first --

Jonah Hauer-King : That was in confidence.

Nischelle : And he didn't want to tell you at first that he was a big fan of yours, but then he was like, "Okay, I got to tell her. I got --" [laugh]

Jonah Hauer-King : Thanks for that, thanks for that.

Nischelle : Sorry. Spilling secrets, that's what's we do [to you?]. I do have another question here for Javier. This is from Rito Asilo from the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Rito says, "Javier, you have created a lot of memorable characters on screen. How did you want your character to be different here from what you've created in the past?"

Javier Bardem : I guess thank you for that. I guess I tried to do just my job. And the job, it was very specific. It's about a man who is deeply in love as a father with his daughter, and he's confused and his fear and insecurity with that love. But he's blocking her from her being free. So that kind of relationship is what I have to create, and that's the role I have to play in the tale, for the tale to make sense. And one thing that your mom told me yesterday, that she was so right, is that one of the beautiful themes in the story is that the mother and the father, the adults earn from their kids. Very important lesson of what love means. They thought they knew, but no, they didn't have a glimpse of what real love is until they see their own kids departing.

Nischelle : Sometimes love is letting go.

Javier Bardem : Absolutely. It's always respecting other people's journey, and that's what they learn, I guess.

Nischelle : Yeah, that's really beautiful. Noma, I want to come to you, because there's a question here from Giovanna Breve, from the Omelete Brazil. Now, if I got that wrong, don't get mad at me, Giovanna. Her question is you play a character that you don't have in the original work, that we didn't see, a one hundred percent original live action character. So were there challenges in making a character without seeming out of place with the familiar cast that we all know?

Noma Dumezweni : In the loveliest way, no challenges. Because what I'm trusting is Rob Marshall and Bernard Telsey casting, and all the people involved to go, and Disney. We want you to be part of this, and we're creating this story, because you go, "They know the story inside and out." They've done their work. My daughter was 12 when I got this gig, and she just turned 16 a few weeks ago. So the sense of [trust n?] the work that's there because they know what they would like to see, so therefore, Giovanna, I was very lucky. All I do is just trust the people I'm working with. And when you can play with people in that way, it's easy to just let be, not to hold on tight. So of course, I will watch myself going, "Ah, ah, ah," but you go, no, it works. And a good costume by Colleen Atwood -- Always works for me. I'm, like, cheap. Give me a good costume, give me good hair, and I'm very happy. So all those things went into this.

Nischelle : [laugh] I'm with you.

Noma Dumezweni : Yeah, Queen Selina, happily.

Nischelle : Daveed, I kind of talked to you about this last night, but I wanted to ask you this too, because you said, like, this is the coolest thing you've ever been a part of. And people are, like, this man has been in Hamilton,
Blindspotting. Like, everything. Come on, why does this sit with you so well and so deep?

Daveed Diggs : We were just talking about this. It's just big, and it wasn't -- well, particularly for us, I think, but I think in general the way we worked on it, and this is why I think it's good, wasn't big. Right? We worked on it like it was a small thing. At least in that work session, it really felt like we were kind of doing, like, community theater. We were pushing boxes around, like, to make sets, you know what I'm saying? And we got in this groove where it was, like, that's how you make art. We made something that we understood, that everybody could wrap their arms around, and that we really believed in and knew inside and out. And then so to show up when they're shutting down the street and, like, the posters are huge, and then you watch the film and it's massive, on this massive screen, and the world, it's a whole world that I never saw at all, you know what I'm saying? I recorded some voices and I dipped. So, like, I never saw any of that. And so to just sit there and be struck by it, it's just it is really cool, to see a thing that, like, you  thought only existed in your imagination. Right? It really felt like we were just building a world in our heads, but then it was there on the screen. That was crazy.

Nischelle : That is really cool. And it's like, gosh,we're so privileged to be able to, like, exist in this world, right? Halle, I have a question here from Marta Zoe Peretti, and Marta says when you were told the part was yours, that you were going to be Ariel, the Little Mermaid, what was your first reaction?

Halle Bailey : Oh my gosh, my first reaction was just sobbing, honestly. I was just crying. I think we had celebrated my sister's birthday the day before. So we were, like, we rented an Airbnb, we were coming home, like, unloading everything, like, in work mode. And then I got this call from Rob. And I don't answer unknown numbers, so I just saw it, I'm like, whatever, not gonna answer it. And then my baby brother, like, comes running to
me, was like, "Answer your phone, answer your phone." [laugh] And I was like, okay. So I answered it, and then Rob was like, "Hello. I'm looking for Ariel." And I was like, oh my gosh, and just crying for, like, the whole day.

Nischelle : Oh, that is so fantastic. Awkwafina, this is from Kelly Martinez, and Kelly says how do you get into character for voice roles like Scuttle, versus, like, you know, anything else that you do?

Awkwafina : You know, I would really like to say that I do, like, steaming or, like, exercise. I would love to say that I don't go out the night before and I wake up early the day of.

Nischelle : Well, you kind of have to, right?

Awkwafina : Yes. I can say that I take a B12 vitamin before. No, I don't, I really don't. I wake up, I show up. Usually I'm in Crocs. And I'm just like, all right, let's run it, Jed. And then we do it. You know, you just got to bring yourself and make sure, you know, you [don't?] have Covid, obviously, whatever.  [overlap] the studio. They have parking in front.

Nischelle : All day. I could watch her and listen and talk to her all darn day. Melissa, this is a question for you, from Stephanie Ramirez.

Melissa McCarthy : I'm still on that. [laugh]

Nischelle : From Streamr Entertainment. What was the best part of filming, and then what was the most challenging thing for you for this film?

Melissa McCarthy : Okay. I think that the best part of filming was every little minute of it. 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 is like, 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. And then it just becomes so personal and everyone's doing their best, and he's just there wrapped and swaddled in cashmere, just cheering quietly --

Nischelle : [laugh] Swaddled.

Melissa McCarthy : Like, just quietly cheering everyone on. And everyone, from the actors to, like, talking about the gorgeous camera moves and the sound department's killing it and look at the costumes and it's an appreciation of every human and all the moving parts that it takes to make a movie work. And having a cheerleader like that is like, I can't even explain how fortunate I feel, and I'm sure al of us feel too. It is. And just a soft, gentle cheerleader. Like, if the world had that, it's, like, running everything, you know, we wouldn't be so mad at each other. And challenging was just to, you know, to do good for him and to keep up with this incredible cast.

Nischelle : Didn't you tell me, and I still find this fascinating, that you actually never touched the ground?

Melissa McCarthy : No, no, there's no -- I slipped on the clam shell occasionally, on my back, but I was never literally on my feet. We were either up in rigs or, you know, there were all different magical things. You know, if you were diving, it was one rig. If you were spinning, it was another. But no, never on the ground.

Nischelle : That's wild.

Melissa McCarthy : And there's an amazing team of dancers and stunt people that just kind of were our fins or feet, however you want to say. But so it took even each person had its team. It was this wonderful, glorious ensemble in every little piece.

Nischelle : Mm-hmm. Jacob, you were mentioning to me yesterday that you were like, I'm not a singer, but Daveed and I, we beg to differ, right?

Jacob Tremblay : [Oh, thank you?]

Nischelle : So Will Wong has a question, and Will says can you talk about the amount of vocal preparation and coaching that went into your performance?

Jacob Tremblay : Yeah. Well, it was my first time, you know, singing at all, so other than, like, in the shower, you know, if that even counts. But, yeah, so I did work with, like, a vocal coach, and he just taught me, like, a bunch of warm ups, I guess. So, you know, you do a bunch of warm ups.

Nischelle : You know I'm gonna ask you to do a warm up. What did you have to do? Is it, like, [makes noise], like that? [laugh]

Jacob Tremblay : No, it was like, yeah, no, you're right.

Nischelle : Right?

Jacob Tremblay : It was, like, a bunch of, like, tongue twisters. And I got good at them after a while. I liked it. No, it was fun, though. I will say that it was really fun, and I was really nervous at the start, obviously. But everyone was there kind of cheering me on, so, after a while, I felt really comfortable and just had fun with it. And, you know, if you miss a note, it's like, it's not even that big of a deal.

Nischelle : You didn't miss any notes, sir.

Jacob Tremblay : No, that's just 'cause they didn't keep it in the movie, but I did. I definitely did.

Nischelle : Okay, we get the director's cut, 'cause I want to see that. I want to definitely see that. Javier, this is a question for you. Which musical sequence were you most excited to watch, since you didn't have a song?

Javier Bardem : You mean, on screen, yesterday?

Nischelle : Well, sure, yeah, let's go for that.

Javier Bardem : All of them.

Nischelle : Yeah.

Javier Bardem : I mean, all of them are very special. The quality of the choreography, the singing, the lyrics, the music, everything. It's top notch. I mean, it's top. And you could see the reaction of the crowd yesterday how they were applauding. The noise, they were enjoying, they were celebrating every number, as it deserves.

Nischelle : This is a question from Jeannie Brenner [phonetic] and she wanted to be for everyone. So I'm gonna start with Daveed, and then anyone else can jump in. What does it mean to you to bring the Little Mermaid to a whole new generation?

Daveed Diggs : [laugh] I mean, I have a hard time wrapping my head around that, honestly.

Nischelle : Mm-hmm.

Daveed Diggs : So I don't think about it much. But so a good friend of mine --

Nischelle : 'Cause for me, Sebastian was my favorite.

Daveed Diggs : Yeah.

Nischelle : In the original movie. I love Sebastian, so --

Daveed Diggs : Yeah. He's pretty cool. I don't know, like, a friend of mine, a really good friend of mine who the day I got cast was, like, I'm bringing my daughter to the premiere, whenever that is. So he brought his daughter to the premiere last night. And that was such a special experience. And then me remembering that I, like, I stood in line to see the Little Mermaid opening night in Oakland, like, you know, when it first came out. That was, it was just this moment of oh, yeah, this thing that was sort of a fundamental part of my childhood is gonna be that maybe for this little girl, who was also so terrified of Ursula that I had to introduce her to Melissa afterwards so that she didn't have nightmares.

Melissa McCarthy : Yeah, I don't think I made it better.

Daveed Diggs : I think you did.

Melissa McCarthy : I kept trying. Like, I tried to get really low. They were so tiny and so cute. And I was like, "Hi, what's your name?" And she was like, mm-mm.

Nischelle : Not today, Ursula.

Melissa McCarthy : And then the one was just like, I see you, and I'm not buying it.

Daveed Diggs : [laugh]

Melissa McCarthy : I felt so bad.

Daveed Diggs : No, it was good. When we were walking out, they were like, "She's only mean on the movie." [laugh]

Nischelle : You're not taking my voice. Not today. [laugh] Well, I'm gonna bring that to you now, Javier, as
well. Like, you are introducing this to a whole new generation.

Javier Bardem : Yeah. And I can't wait for my own kids to watch it.

Javier Bardem : And that's gonna happen in Madrid pretty soon. Yeah I don't know. I mean, it's an honor to be in such a classic. And in this amazing movie that Rob and John has made. I'm very thankful that he put a [armor?] Rob and John, having me bare naked. I mean, but so that was the only thing that I was really worried about. Like, Rob, don't do that to me. Don't worry, you have an armor.

Nischelle : [laugh] Jonah, how about you, jumping in with that as well. Like, you know, you are Prince Eric for a whole new generation of kids.

Jonah Hauer-King : Yeah, same as Daveed. It's hard to wrap your head around it. The first time I saw it a couple weeks ago, I was with my family and some of the cast who are based in the UK. And Art Malik was there, who plays Sir Grimsby, and he brought his grandson out there, who is eight years old. And it was amazing seeing my mom's reaction. It was amazing seeing my sister's reaction. But seeing this little boy's reaction, who I'd never met before, and seeing how taken in by the story he was, how transported by it, it was really, really special, because he was just with t. And his eyes were wide and he was laughing and crying, and just watching it through his eyes was really, really special. Yeah, and it must be nice for you that your kids can watch this one, 'cause No Country For Old Men probably not so much, right? Yeah.

Javier Bardem : [overlap] seen it.

Jonah Hauer-King : No, no. Right, yeah, yeah, yeah. That was one of the reasons you did this film, right, so they could actually watch something.

Javier Bardem : So at least they know that I have a job.

Jonah Hauer-King : Yeah, I am actually an actor. I promise.

Nischelle : Yeah, my audio guy yesterday said, "That's No Country For Old Men." I'm like, I know. We know this. He's the legend. [laugh] We definitely know this. So Jacob, how about for you, because, you know, you are of this, you know, new generation, and now you get to be a part of this, bringing this for your peers.

Jacob Tremblay : Yeah, no, it's really cool, 'cause, you know, I have little cousins as well, and I love always to get to, whenever I do -- 'cause I say, like, a lot of the time I kind of do things that I'm not able to show my own cousins. But this is one of those things where I'm --

Nischelle : Like, good boys can't do that.

Jacob Tremblay : No, no, not at all. And no, I'm really excited to be able to show it to my family, and I always love to share with them and see younger audiences enjoy it. And I think it's really important that all children can watch a movie and really see themselves in the characters.

Nischelle : Mm-hmm. Halle, this question is for you, from Jillian Bloom [phonetic] from The Direct. Jillian says it was clear how much fun everyone had in the final product, but what was the most fun sequence to shoot?

Halle Bailey : Oh, wow. Well, I definitely think there were so many moments that were so much fun to film. But the funniest, like, most hilarious moment will be the [slip rig?] moment with me and Jonah, because -- [laugh] I think when he first was, your first few days on set -- You were thrown in the tank with me.

Jonah Hauer-King : Yep.

Halle Bailey : So we had our first kind of moment of me kind of picking him up and saving him and having to be in the middle of the rainstorm and the wave machine and the --

Jonah Hauer-King : Literally saving me.

Halle Bailey : Yes, yes.

Jonah Hauer-King : 'Cause I was drowning, so thank you.

Halle Bailey : So we were both trying to survive this moment, and, you know, in the tank at Pinewood, it's so intense. When they turn on the thunder and lightning and fires around us and the waves, it feels like you're in the middle of the ocean, like actually in the middle of a thunderstorm. So I was trying to look like, you know, I'm a mermaid, I do this all the time. And at the same time --

Jonah Hauer-King : I was just passed out. I was fine.

Halle Bailey : Yeah. [laugh] And Jonah's like, you know, so much taller than me, but I had to hold him up. And we kept laughing about these boots that he had to wear, because he kept sinking under because of the boots. And, you know, so we to, like, raise our hands and ask Rob, we're like, "You know, you don't see the boots, right? So can he just take them off?" Because he kept, like, stepping on my toes.

Jonah Hauer-King : I was kicking you. I was kicking you. Just say it, I was --

Halle Bailey : He was like, yeah, he was kicking me.

Jonah Hauer-King : I was kicking you. I was breaking your shins. It was really bad. You couldn’t even see the --

Halle Bailey : So sweet. He's like, "Can we please?"

Jonah Hauer-King : Yeah, and he was like, "No."

Halle Bailey : And they were like, "No." [laugh] Like, no, keep the boots, it's fine. So we were just dying in the water the whole time. Like, we have to look natural. It's gonna be okay. It's gonna be okay. But that was, like, the funniest moment, I think, of the whole --

Jonah Hauer-King : It was quite bonding as well 'cause it was early on.

Nischelle : So funny.

Jonah Hauer-King : Exactly, yeah.

Nischelle : So the moral to that is you injured Ariel.

Jonah Hauer-King : Yeah, yeah. Basically almost killed her.

Nischelle : You hurt Ariel.

Jonah Hauer-King : Yeah, yeah, yeah. Almost broke her legs.

Nischelle : I mean, that's great. [laugh]

Nischelle : That's great. I love when I do get to spend time with cast, because sometimes you don't get this type of camaraderie and, you know, you can't fake chemistry. You can't, like, you manufacture that. And so I think that's what jumps out on the screen with me. I said to you two yesterday how long did you shoot together? You're like, one day. I'm like, whoa, whoa. How did you get that out of one day? So, I mean, kudos to you all, because it's a fantastic film. I know you heard the audience last night. You know, the hundred foot Melissa McCarthy Ursula that slayed everyone, people, like, lost it in there when that happened.

Melissa McCarthy : The only time I've been tall.

Nischelle : Enjoy it. Enjoy it, right? But thank you all so much. Congratulations. Bravo. I can't wait until, like, everyone across America and the world can see this film, because it's really, really, really well done. You should all be proud of yourselves. And thank you all for joining us today. I hope you got a little laugh, everybody got their questions in. We appreciate you, and we'll see you in a little bit. [laugh]

The Little Mermaid premiered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on May 8, 2023, and is scheduled to be released theatrically in the United States on May 26, 2023, in RealD 3D, IMAX, Dolby Cinema and 4DX formats, as well as in conventional theaters.

Synopsis : 
Ariel, the youngest daughter of King Triton, is a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with an adventurous temperament. A rebel at heart, she is constantly drawn to the world beyond the waves. During her escapades on the surface, she falls under the spell of Prince Eric. Although mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel feels she must follow her heart. She makes a deal with Ursula, the terrible sea witch, who grants her the power to live on land, but without suspecting that this pact puts her life - and her father's crown - in danger...

The Little Mermaid
Directed by Rob Marshall
Screenplay by David Magee
Based on Disney's The Little Mermaid by Ron Clements, John Musker The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen 
Produced by Marc Platt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, John DeLuca, Rob Marshall 
Starring Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, Noma Dumezweni, Javier Bardem, Melissa McCarthy 
Cinematography : Dion Beebe Edited by Wyatt Smith 
Music by Alan Menken
 Production companies : Walt Disney Pictures, DeLuca Marshall, Marc Platt Productions 
Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures 
Release dates : May 8, 2023 (Dolby Theatre), May 26, 2023 (United States) 
Running time : 135 minutes

Photos : Copyright The Walt Disney Company