Walt Disney Studios has made a remarkable habit of remaking its old stories as live-action movies. The studio is making all of the old fairytales come to life, one after the other, to try to tell the magical stories in a new way with living characters. In April, Disney will release Peter Pan & Wendy, a live-action remake. A month later, in May, they will release The Little Mermaid, a live-action remake.
Hans Christian Andersen’s story about Ariel in 1837, called “The Little Mermaid,” was the basis for Disney’s animated movie of the same name, which came out in 1989. The film was a big hit, and Ariel the Mermaid became a well-known character. The wait is almost over after a live-action remake was announced in 2016. The Little Mermaid is a live-action version of the Oscar-winning animated musical classic from 1989, which the same studio made. The story will stay true to the original, but we won’t know for longer. Here’s what we know about The Little Mermaid so far.
Cast
Halle Bailey as Ariel
Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric
Melissa McCarthy as Ursula
Javier Bardem as King Triton
Jude Akuwudike as Joshua
Noma Dumezweni as Queen Selina
Jessica Alexander as Vanessa
Kajsa Mohammar as Karina
Lorena Andrea as Perla
Daveed Diggs as Sebastian(voice)
Jacob Tremblay as Flounder(voice)
John Dagleish as Mulligan
Release Date for The Little Mermaid?
In May 2016, it was said that Disney was planning to make The Little Mermaid into a live-action movie. Since then, it’s been a long time since The Little Mermaid came out. Two months after Halle Bailey posted on Instagram that she was done filming, the movie’s official release date was announced to be May 26, 2023. Collider talked to director Rob Marshall, who said that because of COVID and the film’s use of CGI, post-production on the movie didn’t end until March 2023.
The Little Mermaid Trailer
The official teaser trailer for The Little Mermaid was released by Walt Disney Studios on September 10, 2022, during a presentation at Disney’s D23 Expo. The teaser blew people away, and I mean that in a literal way because the scene starts with huge ocean waves. The next scene takes place underwater and gives amazing glimpses of the beautiful world under the ocean. In a beautiful spellbinding scene, the young mermaid Ariel sings, “Out of the sea, wish I could be… a part of that world.” Fans paid much attention to Halle Bailey’s first time as Ariel.
On February 15, 2023, Disney released a 30-second spot for the movie. The first half of the spot has about the same amount of footage as the first teaser trailer. However, the last 15 seconds give us a better look at Ariel and our first looks at her mermaid sisters, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric (in what seems to be a live-action version of “Kiss the Girl”), and Melissa McCarthy as Ursala.
On March 12, 2023, the full trailer for The Little Mermaid was shown for the first time at the 95th Annual Academy Awards. Halle Bailey and Melissa McCarthy were on stage to show it. Fans finally got a long look at the movie in the two-and-a-half-minute trailer. They got their first official look at Javier Bardem as Triton and Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, among others. Like the first two teasers, the full trailer has Halle Bailey’s version of “Part of Your World.”
What Is the Plot of The Little Mermaid?
The official synopsis for The Little Mermaid by Walt Disney Studios read:
“The Little Mermaid” is the beloved story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. 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.
The plot of The Little Mermaid could be more mysterious. As with most of Disney’s other live-action remakes, the plot of this one is likely to stay close to the original. The teaser already hinted at Ariel’s interest in the human world by using the well-known song “Part of Your World,” Ariel sings about wanting to be a part of the world beyond the water or the human realm. Fans will see how Ariel and Prince Eric deal with the problems because they are different.
Who is the Director of Little Mermaid?
Rob Marshall, best known for making the movie version of the Broadway musical Chicago, is in charge of the movie. The Little Mermaid’s story was made up by David Magee, Rob Marshall, and
John DeLuca directed the film, and David Magee and Jane Goldman wrote the script. Alan Menken will return as the film’s composer to write new songs with Lin-Manuel Miranda, the film’s producer. Academy Award winner Dion Beebe is in charge of the film’s cinematography, and Wyatt Smith is the film’s editor. The movie is also being made by Marc Platt, Miranda, Marshall, and DeLuca, all very good producers.