The Little Mermaid, Disney’s Oscar-nominated 1989 classic, is getting a live-action remake, with a new twist set to open in theatres next spring. Following the success of adaptations such as Cinderella, starring Lily James, and Maleficent, starring Angelina Jolie, it appears that Disney is stepping up to give the next generation of princess fans a fresher take on the animated franchise.
On September 9, Disney revealed the first teaser trailer of the film, featuring Halle Bailey’s mermaid Ariel singing Part of Your World.
If you’re curious about what to expect from the remake, here’s what we know so far.
Also Read: Little Mermaid teaser: Disney releases first look of Halle Bailey as Ariel
Release date
Although the film was originally scheduled to be released in November 2019, production was delayed, and then further delayed by the pandemic. It will now be released on May 26, 2023.
Cast
The upcoming film, directed by Rob Marshall (Chicago, Memoirs of a Geisha, Mary Poppins Returns), features a cast full of fan favourites as well as a few rising stars. Halle Bailey, who is widely known as half of the Grammy-nominated sibling duo Chloe x Halle, is set to play Ariel in the new adaptation. Daveed Diggs, from Hamilton, will play the crustacean Sebastian, alongside Awkwafina as Scuttle the seagull and Jacob Tremblay as Flounder.
Besides this, Melissa McCarthy plays the villainous sorcerer Ursula, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, and Javier Bardem plays King Triton. Bridgerton’s Simone Ashley also revealed that she will play a minor role in the film.
Movie plot
The live-action Little Mermaid is expected to follow the general plot of its predecessor, but no story details have been released. However, the music, which was written for the 1989 version by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken will most likely be different: Lin-Manuel Miranda has joined the new film as a producer and will contribute some original songs.