Halle Bailey as Ariel inThe Little Mermaid(2023).Photo: Disney
Get ready to go under the sea with the live-action adaptation ofThe Little Mermaid.
Based on the 1989 animated film of the same name, Disney is remaking the beloved tale with an all-star cast and team.
The film was first announced in 2016 with Alan Menken andLin-Manuel Mirandaattached to write additional music.
In 2019,Disney found its ArielinHalle Bailey, who is best known as part of the R&B duoChloe x Halle, and has also starred on Freeform’sGrown-ish.
Since then, the studio has released a few glimpses of the set as well asthe official trailer released during the Oscars, which showcasesBailey’s stunning renditionof “Part of Your World.”
From the cast to the release date, here’s everything to know about Disney’s live-action adaptation ofThe Little Mermaid.
Who is in the live-actionThe Little Mermaidcast?
Raymond Hall/GC Images; Corey Nickols/Getty; Pascal Le Segretain/Getty
Alongside Bailey as Ariel, British actorJonah Hauer-King stars as Prince Eric. The cast also includesMelissa McCarthy as Ursula, Awkwafina as Scuttle, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, Javier Bardem as King Triton,Daveed Diggs as SebastianandNoma Dumezweni in a brand-new role.
What is the live-actionThe Little Mermaidabout?
In the original film, the story centers around a young mermaid named Ariel, who makes a deal with a sea witch named Ursula in which she trades her voice for a pair of legs so she can be on land with Prince Eric, a man she has loved from afar.
Who is directing the live-actionThe Little Mermaid?
Stefanie Keenan/Getty
Who else is part of the production team for the live-actionThe Little Mermaid?
Who is writing music for the live-actionThe Little Mermaid?
Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic
Miranda is teaming up with renowned composer Alan Menken, who wrote music for the originalLittle Mermaidfilm alongside the late Howard Ashman.
Menken and Ashman’s work on the 1989 animated film signaled a new Disney era called the Disney Renaissance as they went on to work on other Disney classics such asBeauty and the BeastandAladdin.
During an interview withVanity Fair, Menken also revealed that he and Mirandamodified some of the songs' lyricsfor the live-action film because of their negative messaging.
“There are some lyric changes in ‘Kiss the Girl’ because people have gotten very sensitive about the idea that [Prince Eric] would, in any way, force himself on [Ariel],” Menken revealed.
He added, “We have some revisions in ‘Poor Unfortunate Souls’ regarding lines that might make young girls somehow feel that they shouldn’t speak out of turn, even though Ursula is clearly manipulating Ariel to give up her voice.”
Are there new songs in the live-actionThe Little Mermaidsoundtrack?
In addition to reimagining the original songs from the movie, Menken and Miranda havepenned a handful of new songs for the film.
“We wrote three or four original tunes, replacing none of the ones you like. All of those are in,” Miranda toldVarietyof the classic songs, including “Under the Sea” and “Part of Your World.”
“There’sno biggerLittle Mermaidfan than me,” he added. “… But we found a couple of opportunities for some other music that I can’t wait to see.”
Bailey’s Ariel also gets a new tune, “For the First Time,” and Hauer-King belts the song “Wild Uncharted Waters.”
Some of the classicsongs also got subtle lyric changesto reflect modern times. Menken — who wrote the music for the originalLittle Mermaidfilm — previously revealed he updated lyrics to “Kiss the Girl” and “Poor Unfortunate Souls” in the live-action film.
When did the live-actionThe Little Mermaidfilm?
Filming was originally scheduled to begin in London around April 2020, however, following production delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic,filming kicked off in early 2021and eventually wrapped that July.
Bailey celebrated the end of filmingwith a photo of her in costume as Ariel. “And just like that..that’s a wrap ❤️after auditioning for this film when i was 18 just about to turn 19 , to now finishing filming through a pandemic when i turned 21 ..we have finally made it…💖,” shewrote in the caption.
“I feel so grateful to have experienced this film in all of its glory..it has been the toughest experience being away from everything and everyone i’ve ever known, to feeling self doubt/ loneliness, but also feeling such freedom and perseverance as i’ve reached the end,” Bailey wrote. “This experience has made me so much stronger than i ever thought i could be.”
Is there a trailer for the live-actionThe Little Mermaid?
In September 2022, Disney shared the very first teaser trailer for the film at Disney D23. Fans at the expo were also given the first look at Bailey’s full performance of “Part of Your World,” which is featured in the teaser.
During the 2023 Oscars,the official trailer was unveiled, giving closer looks atMelissa McCarthyas Ursula andJavier Bardemas King Triton.
Is there a poster for the live-actionThe Little Mermaid?
Disney
On Oct. 13, 2022, Bailey unveiledthe first official posterfor her upcoming live-action Disney movie.
In March 2023, Disney unveiled a new poster for the film, which shows Bailey looking out at the ocean as she sits on a rock.
When is the live-actionThe Little Mermaidrelease date?
Halle Bailey.Halle Bailey/Instagram
The film hits theaters on May 26, 2023.
source: people.com
