The next animated Disney classic to get the live-action treatment is The Little Mermaid, and here’s everything fans need to know about this new version. In recent years, there has been a trend in the film industry to adapt animated movies into live-action versions, with Disney classics being the main targets. While some movies, like Cruella and Maleficent, have delved into the backstories of classic villains, others are clearer adaptations of the original animated movie and story.
The Little Mermaid is set to follow in the steps of preview live-action movies like Cinderella, The Lion King, Aladdin, and the 2017 Beauty and the Beast remake. In 1989, Disney brought its own version of the fairy tale to the screen. It tells the story of Ariel, a mermaid princess who falls in love with a human and the world in which he lives. To be with him, she trades her voice for becoming a human. The Little Mermaid was a hit upon its release, and it remains a beloved Disney movie, so it’s not surprising that it became a target of the live-action trend.
The Latest The Little Mermaid News
Though Disney hasn’t yet released full clips of scenes from their live-action The Little Mermaid, the studio has released more teaser spots and begun to roll out the music for the movie’s soundtrack. One of the most anticipated, since the music has been used since the first teaser for the movie, is Halle Bailey’s version of “Part Of Your World.” The song, which became iconic when voice actress Jodi Benson sang it in the first movie, has been covered numerous times since its original release, and Halle Bailey puts her own spin on it for her time as Ariel. Fans can now hear the complete soundtrack version of the song.
Also released for the movie is a series of new character posters. Including the Little Mermaid herself, the posters feature the best look fans have yet at characters like Flounder, Sebastian, and Ursula. They also include new looks at King Triton, Prince Eric, and Scuttle. The posters have prompted some criticism in social media posts disliking that Scuttle and Flounder don’t have a look closer to their animated counterparts, but they are designed to look like real animals. Scuttle is now a northern gannet diving bird, able to swim with Ariel. Flounder’s new design is based on a blue fish instead of an angelfish, and Sebastian too has a more realistic design.
The Little Mermaid Release Date
The Little Mermaid release date is set as May 26, 2023. The Little Mermaid live-action film wrapped up production in July 2021, prompting many to believe that the film could come out somewhere in mid-2022. However, that prediction has been proven inaccurate, as a release date has been confirmed by Disney. The extra time has allowed the visual effects team to perfect the underwater look for Ariel’s home.
Studios have confirmed that the remake will receive a theatrical release, but it’s unsure when the film will make the jump to Disney+. As of late, Disney movies have been released exclusively to Disney+ rather than going to theaters, such as the streaming Enchanted sequel Disenchanted. When films do go to theaters, they’ve tended to hit Disney+ about three months later, which was the case with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
The Little Mermaid Cast
The Little Mermaid live-action cast counts on both well-established actors and newcomers who will benefit from starring in a big production like this. The leading roles and the ensemble cast are filled with musically talented actors as well, which is important for the scope of the songs in the movie. Playing the lead role of Ariel is Halle Bailey, best known for being one half of the duo Chloe x Halle and for her role as Skylar Forster in Grown-ish.
She’s joined by Melissa McCarthy as the villain Ursula though McCarthy’s casting in the Disney role was divisive. Although she’s known as a great comedic talent, Ursula’s final design in the animated movie was inspired by legendary drag queen Divine, and there was a desire by fans to see a modern-day drag queen embody the role as well. The movie will also feature Javier Bardem as King Triton, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, and Art Malik as Grimsby (Eric’s majordomo).
Ariel’s sisters are played by Sienna King, Karolina Conchet, Nathalie Sorrell, Kasja Mohammar, Lorena Andrea, and Bridgerton’s Simone Ashley. Rounding out the cast for The Little Mermaid are the actors who will lend their voices to some of the most unforgettable characters including Sebastian (Daveed Diggs), Flounder (Jacob Tremblay), and Scuttle (Awkwafina). Noma Dumezweni has been cast in an undisclosed role. It’s possible she will play Ariel’s mother, who didn’t feature in the animated movie.
The Little Mermaid Story
The Little Mermaid is all about Halle Bailey’s Princess Ariel who dreams of exploring the human world and falls in love with a prince, leading her to make a dangerous deal with Ursula. The sea witch tricks the young princess in order for her to fail to be kissed by Eric and thus has her become her slave. However, like in any other Disney classic, love always triumphs, and Prince Eric and Ariel have their happily ever after.
While much of the story will remain the same, the relationship between Ariel and Eric is getting a bit more fleshed out. While the two are immediately drawn to one another in the animated movie, the live-action film will feature the two finding common ground. Eric, like Ariel, finds himself feeling like an outsider in his world as well. The Little Mermaid is expected to be modernized for Ariel as well as she explores her freedom, not just seeks to land a prince.
The Little Mermaid is also set to be a longer movie than the original animated one. While the animated movie is 83 minutes long, the live-action The Little Mermaid is listed for AMC Theaters bookings at 2 hours and 15 minutes. That is nearly an hour longer than the original film but is likely due to longer credit sequences, additional musical numbers, and a few more scenes to flesh out character backstory, much like previous live-action Disney adaptations have done.
The movie will be a musical adaptation like Aladdin and Beauty And The Beast before it, but it will also feature new music. Lin Manuel-Miranda lent his musical talents to the movie. He worked with original composer Alan Menken, to help compose four new songs for it. It also won’t just be Ariel and Eric who gain some changes in the story. According to Alan Menken, some of the classic songs will be updated for the modern day with slight lyric changes to Ursula’s “Poor Unfortunate Souls” and Sebastian’s “Kiss The Girl” to make certain lines less offensive for modern audiences.
The Little Mermaid Trailer
The official teaser for The Little Mermaid remake arrived on September 9, 2022. The teaser depicts Halle Bailey’s Ariel swimming through her magical cove and singing the character’s famous song, “Part of Your World.” Audiences also get a glimpse of Flounder swimming at her side. Other famous characters, such as Scuttle, Sebastian, and Ursula, didn’t appear in their live-action forms until the full-length trailer released in March 2023. The full-length trailer for The Little Mermaid has given fans a much better look at the world Disney created under the sea for the new adaptation. Iconic sequences from the animated movie, like Ariel saving Eric, “Under The Sea,” and her deal with Ursula can all be glimpsed in their new live-action glory.
Though the television spots for The Little Mermaid increased fan interest in the project, the full-length trailer for the live-action adaptation proves that Disney hasn’t lost its touch. There has been concern after live-action remakes of Dumbo and Pinocchio failed to land with fans that Disney’s live-action lineup might not be as beloved as the animated properties. The Little Mermaid, however, has seen viewership of its trailer break a Disney record previously held by The Lion King’s trailer in 2019.
According to Disney, between streaming access and television spots, the live-action trailer for The Little Mermaid has been viewed over 108 million times around the world. The increased interest is good news for Disney. Disney’s live-action movies haven’t always had the most excitement around them, but that could be changing.
It looks like the live-action The Little Mermaid will show an exciting new side to the famed Disney princess while maintaining the spellbinding magic of the original.
