Halle Bailey as Ariel in Disney’s live-action ‘The Little Mermaid,’ directed by Rob Marshall. Photo by Giles Keyte. © 2021 Disney Enterprises Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The classic 1989 animated feature gets a live-action adaptation in Disney’s ‘The Little Mermaid’, complete with a three brand-new songs. The film joins the ranks of Disney’s live-action remakes such as ‘Beauty and the Beast’, ‘Aladdin’, and ‘The Lion King’.
The official synopsis for ‘The Little Mermaid’ is below:
“The youngest of King Triton’s daughters, Ariel is a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. Longing to find out more about the world beyond the sea, Ariel visits the surface and falls for the dashing Prince Eric. Following her heart, she makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, to experience life on land.”
The cast of ‘The Little Mermaid’ includes Halle Bailey (‘Lemonade’) as Ariel, Jonah Hauer-King (‘This Is The Night’) as Prince Eric, Melissa McCarthy (‘Thor: Love and Thunder’) as Ursula, Daveed Diggs (‘DC League of Super Pets’) as Sebastian, Awkwafina (‘Renfield’) as Scuttle, Jacob Tremblay (‘Good Boys’) as Flounder, Javier Bardem (‘Dune’) as King Triton, and Nomi Dumezweni (‘The Same Storm’) as Queen Selina.
(L to R) Jonah Hauer-King, Jacob Tremblay, Melissa McCarthy, Halle Bailey, Rob Marshall, Javier Bardem and Daveed Diggs attend the UK Premiere Of Disney’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on May 15, 2023 in London, England. Photo by StillMoving.Net for Disney.
‘The Little Mermaid premiered at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles on May 8, 2023. The film was released domestically on May 26, 2023.
Halle Bailey Shines As Ariel
Halle Bailey as Ariel in Disney’s live-action ‘The Little Mermaid.’ Photo by Giles Keyte. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
After auditioning hundreds of actors for the role of Ariel, Halle Bailey was cast in the lead role.
Director Rob Marshall recounts her audition,
“I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I just thought she’s so deeply connected to what she was singing about. It’s so emotional. It’s so beautiful. And I thought, [laugh] Oh my gosh, we’ve been doing this for five minutes. Have we found Ariel? And we had.”
Landing this role was a dream come true for the actress, as Ariel was her favorite Disney princess growing up. Bailey’s powerhouse voice delivered an emotional rendition of ‘A Part Of Your World’ that brought audiences to tears. Her performance was a joy to watch as she captured the essence of Ariel – her curiosity about the human world and her drive to explore undiscovered places.
Melissa McCarthy Is Spellbounding as Ursula
Melissa McCarthy as Ursula in Disney’s live-action ‘The Little Mermaid.’ Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Ursula the Sea Witch is a fan-favorite Disney Villain, most notable for her song ‘Poor Unfortunate Soul’. McCarthy’s performance as Ursula delighted critics and audience alike, calling her a “scene stealer”. She matched the villain’s attitude, voice, and laughter while using her comedic skills to make the role her own.
During the filming of the movie, McCarthy confessed that her feet never touched the ground which made her performance even more impressive.
“I slid down the clamshell 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.”
Related Article: ‘The Little Mermaid’ Virtual Press Conference
New Songs For The Live-Action Adaptation
Halle Bailey as Ariel in Disney’s live-action THE LITTLE MERMAID. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Director Rob Marshal teams up with Award-winning composer Alan Menken, who worked on the original animated movie for the live-action adaptation to create new music for the film. Fan favorite songs such as ‘A Part of Your World’, ‘Under The Sea’, ‘Kiss The Girl’, and ‘Poor Unfortunate Soul’ all made it into the movie. A few new songs were added as well, including ‘For The First Time’, ‘Wild Uncharted Waters’ and ‘The Scuttlebutt’.
‘For The First Time’ is performed by Halle Bailey after she receives her legs from the sea witch Ursula. How does she sing if Ursula has taken her voice? Think of the song as an internal monologue for Ariel. She is seeing the human world for the first time, and the song is paired with a montage of Ariel experiencing brand new things in the Above World.
‘Wild Uncharted Waters’ is sung by Jonah Hauer-King. While Prince Eric didn’t have a song in the original animated feature, the filmmakers felt that the prince needed a moment where he can talk (or sing) about his passion to be out in on the open sea. This ballad helped flush out Eric’s story and character.
Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric in Disney’s live-action ‘The Little Mermaid.’ Photo by Giles Keyte. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Finally, ‘The Scuttlebutt’ is a song that was performance by both Awkwafina and Daveed Diggs. Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda (‘Hamilton’, ‘Mary Poppins Returns’), this upbeat song and rap is about Scuttle overhearing the gossip of Prince Eric’s plan to propose.
Originally, there was a song for Javier Bardem’s King Triton as well but the song ultimately didn’t make the final cut.
Where Can I Watch ‘The Little Mermaid’?
(L to R) Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric and Halle Bailey as Ariel in Disney’s live-action ‘The Little Mermaid.’ Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The film was released theatrically in the United States on May 26th, 2023 and is currently playing in theaters. Be sure to check showtimes on Moviefone. below.
Buy Tickets: ‘The Little Mermaid’ Movie Showtimes
Watch the official trailers for ‘The Little Mermaid’ below:
As this a Disney movie, it will end up on the studio’s streamer Disney+ once it’s ready for streaming. In the past, Disney has followed a 90-day theatrical window which means ‘The Little Mermaid’ may arrive on Disney+ by late August or early September.
Where To Watch: ‘The Little Mermaid’ Online
No official word from the studio yet about the DVD/Blu-Ray release, but it should follow the Disney+ debut.
Buy ‘The Little Mermaid’ On Amazon
Halle Bailey as Ariel in Disney’s live-action ‘The Little Mermaid.’ Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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To watch our exclusive interviews with the cast of ‘The Little Mermaid,’ please click on the video player below.
