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The highly awaited reinvention of “The Little Mermaid” (2023) will bring a fresh cast to represent these famous characters on the big screen, even though some of the live-action remakes produced by The Walt Disney Company will move directly to Disney+. Following the release of Pinocchio and Peter Pan & Wendy as Disney+ exclusives, the large business began experimenting with different methods for distributing their remade films. An unexpected choice considering the phenomenal success at the box office that the other live-action remakes have had. On the other hand, Disney was probably aware that releasing a new version of “The Little Mermaid” was a momentous occasion that deserved to be viewed on the largest screen.
Fans recognize the original, now-classic film 1989 as more than another good Disney princess movie. It was the big smash that the animation industry behemoth needed to come back on top of the business, and it was also the movie that formally inaugurated the famed “Disney Renaissance.” The animated movie has easily established itself as one of the crown jewels in the ever-expanding House of Mouse empire. It features groundbreaking animation, appealing melodic tunes, and memorable characters, and it has packed to the brim with groundbreaking animation techniques. This leaves quite a large pair of shoes (or fins) for the many performers who are slated to bring the story into live-action to fill. Nevertheless, this should be fine with a cast that includes seasoned veterans and talented rookies (not to mention the direction coming from Rob Marshall and the music coming from Lin-Manuel Miranda).
Halle Bailey as Ariel
When the first teaser trailer for The Little Mermaid was released, Disney fans all over the world were delighted to see one of the most well-known princesses in film being brought to live-action by Halle Bailey, who is best known for her role on the television show Grown-ish. In 2023, Bailey will have a significant role in a new adaptation of “The Color Purple,” which is scheduled to be released. Suppose the up-and-coming actor’s “Otherworldy” audition is any indicator. According to Rob Marshall and producer John DeLuca, it is a well-deserved start to a promising career.
Ariel is the youngest of six sisters and a member of the royal family of Atlantica. She is a starry-eyed mermaid whose defiant spirit leads to an overwhelming obsession with the surface world, much to the dismay of her overprotective father, King Triton (Javier Bardem). Ariel is the youngest of six sisters and a member of the royal family of Atlantica. Ariel spends most of her time, along with her guppy best friend Flounder (Jacob Tremblay), and semi-strict court composer Sebastian (Daveed Diggs), collecting treasures from the surface that have made their way to the deep. She keeps the treasure trove that she keeps secret from her father, who consistently teaches her and her siblings that the surface is far too dangerous for them. Jacob Tremblay voices Ariel’s father.
Ariel witnesses a big ship catching fire on the water’s surface on one of her unlucky nights and helps rescue the life of a lovely prince named Eric (Jonah Hauer-King). Ariel develops feelings for Prince Erik, and as a result, she yearns more than ever before to be able to walk on land if doing so will allow her to be with him. It doesn’t take long for Ariel’s father to find her secret hideaway, and once he does, King Triton trashes it out of concern for his daughter. This prompts Ariel to make a hasty choice. Ariel defies the advice of her companions and strikes a deal with the feared sea witch Ursula, played by Melissa McCarthy, in the Disney film “The Little Mermaid.” Ariel is approached by a nefarious sorceress who makes a deal with her to give up her voice in return for her legs. Ariel is convinced, so she needs to devise another method of communication with Eric that does not use her singing voice.
Jonah Hauer-King as Eric
Jonah Hauer-King, who starred in “A Dog’s Way Home,” has been cast as Prince Eric, the handsome seafaring prince who becomes Ariel’s love interest.
Even though he is entirely human, Eric spends most of his time exploring the oceans and looking for the treasures that may be hidden beneath them. He is frequently accompanied by two friends: Max, his rambunctious shaggy dog, and Grimsby, his devoted but easily seasick butler, played by Art Malik. Eric ends up in the ocean’s depths as he loses his footing in the midst of a severe storm. Even though he was constantly losing consciousness, the prince could recall that the person who had saved him was a stunning woman with a mesmerizing singing voice. Eric develops an unhealthy fixation on his savior and goes on a mission to track her down and properly express his gratitude. In the end, he successfully finds Ariel, but the fact that she is mute casts doubt on his belief that she is the one who rescued him. Despite this, Eric and Ariel rapidly develop a connection that has the potential to blossom into a deep love for one another.
Melissa McCarthy as Ursula
Since the evil and manipulative sea witch, Ursula is famous for her sarcastic sense of humor, it only makes logical that comedy legend and Bridesmaids star Melissa McCarthy will portray the role of the character.
Once upon a time, Ursula served King Triton of Atlantica as a maid. Still, she was ultimately expelled from the entire kingdom and never allowed to return. Since then, Ursula has nursed deep animosity toward Triton and anyone close to him. She has been searching for opportunities to seize control of Triton’s all-powerful trident and, as a result, the rest of the realm. Ursula has spent most of her time manipulating helpless merfolk into signing impossible contracts in exchange for their “poor unfortunate soul.” She has accomplished this with her cunning pet eels, Flotsam and Jetsam. Ursula, being the sea witch she is, immediately recognizes a chance to exact her vengeance upon Triton after learning of Ariel’s desire to exchange her mermaid tail for human legs. Ursula satisfies Ariel’s foolish desires by giving her exactly what she asks. However, Ursula can now put her strategy for dominating the seas into action because she has been compensated for her voice.
A substantial adjustment is made to Ursula’s role in the new version of the movie. There is an unexpected new connection between Ursula and King Triton. Still, we will keep details about it private.
Javier Bardem as King Triton
Oscar-winning actor or actress In Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Javier Bardem was terrifying the seas as the despicable Capitan Salazar, but now he’ll be collaborating with Disney once more, this time as the more likable King Triton.
Triton is not only the well-respected King of Atlantica, but he is also the sole parent of seven young daughters. Even though he loves his children more than life itself, his youngest child, Ariel, can’t manage to keep herself out of mischief. The loving yet reclusive monarch is deeply concerned about Ariel’s preoccupation with the surface world, and he believes the only way to stop this preoccupation is to destroy Ariel’s huge collection of thingamabobs and whatsits. When all these drives Ariel closer to Ursula, his sworn nemesis, Triton needs to learn to let his daughter be free to become her person so that she can move on.
Jacob Tremblay as Flounder
Jacob Tremblay’s endearing performance as the industry’s breakout star in Room caused quite a stir in the business, and he is currently riding the wave of fame he generated with that role as the voice of Flounder.
Flounder is an enthusiastic juvenile fish who follows his closest friend Ariel on practically all her escapades, even if they are risky, such as exploring ship wreckage filled with sharks. What Flounder lacks in daring, he more than makes up for in his loyalty to Ariel and their relationship; he is always looking for ways to assist in whichever way he can.
Daveed Diggs as Sebastian
Daveed Diggs, who voices everyone’s stressed-out crustacean, Sebastian, made his Disney debut in 2020 when his role in the Broadway smash show Hamilton debuted on Disney+. Daveed Diggs portrays Sebastian.
The official title of Sebastian’s position in Atlantica is “court composer,” and he is responsible for putting on and conducting a variety of musical productions. Many of these involve the daughters of King Triton performing for the audience. Despite this, Triton entrusts Sebastian with the responsibility of watching Princess Ariel when she fails to show up for the performances on multiple occasions. In addition, he is confident that Sebastian will persuade Ariel that a life “under the sea” is significantly more alluring than a life on shore. Despite this, Sebastian is a hopeless romantic and a court composer, and he assists Ariel in her mission to win Eric’s affection despite Eric’s allegiance to Triton.
Awkwafina as Scuttle
Awkwafina, an actress and comedian, has previously starred in Raya and the Last Dragon, Shang-Chi, and The Legend of the Ten Rings for Disney, all of which are considered among her most notable roles. Now, she will debut as Scuttle in the live-action version of a Disney film. In the first version of the movie, the lively bird is portrayed as a gull. However, Awkwafina’s interpretation of the role will be that of a gannet, a bird that can stay submerged for extended periods.
Scuttle, Ariel’s third buddy, acts as a living, talking dictionary for all of the human artifacts that Ariel discovers in the ocean. Scuttle is interested in human relics; moreover, the bird is far from becoming an expert on these items. Scuttle frequently gives names that are entirely inaccurate for the things and what they are used for, which results in some hilarious misunderstandings when Ariel finally gets her legs and gets to view the surface for herself for the first time. The fact remains that Scuttle has Ariel’s best interests at heart and is a close friend of hers.
Noma Dumezweni as Queen Selina
Because she has already appeared in a live-action Disney film as Miss Penny Farthing in Mary Poppins Returns, Noma Dumezweni is no stranger to the world of Disney’s live-action movies. However, this time, Dumezweni will take on the role of Queen Selina, one of the remake’s few original characters.
King Triton, the human who raised Prince Eric, is often compared to Selina since she is the polar opposite of King Triton. Even though she is not as stringent as Triton, Selina does not approve of Eric’s sense of adventure and exploration. She views it as a risky hobby that will undoubtedly result in him being injured or even killed. When Eric is involved in a shipwreck that is on the verge of being fatal, she cannot help but be reminded of when Eric was a child and arrived on her shores due to another shipwreck.
Art Malik as Sir Grimsby
Even though Art Malik is most remembered for playing the heinous role of Aziz in the 1994 film True Lies, you can expect him to be a more pleasant presence than Sir Grimsby.
Grimsby is not only a passionate and faithful confidant to Prince Eric but also a loyal servant to Prince Eric. He is in charge of a significant portion of the day-to-day administrative procedures that Eric needs to be more interested in. In the first movie, Grimsby is assigned to teach Ariel proper manners and how the human world operates. However, he still has much to learn about Ariel’s nature as a mermaid princess. The new version expands Grimsby’s position by making him more of a supportive father figure. He does this by assisting Eric and Ariel in avoiding the Queen’s sight so they can spend time together.
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