The Little Mermaid (2023 film)
A live-action adaptation of Disney's 1989 animated classic.
The 2023 film *The Little Mermaid* is an American musical fantasy that serves as a live-action remake of Disney’s 1989 animated movie, which was itself inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s 1837 fairy tale. Rob Marshall directed the project from a screenplay by David Magee. Halle Bailey plays the title role, with Jonah Hauer-King, Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, Noma Dumezweni, Art Malik, Javier Bardem, and Melissa McCarthy rounding out the cast. The plot follows Ariel, a mermaid princess curious about humans; after pulling Prince Eric from a shipwreck, she strikes a bargain with the sea witch Ursula to gain legs.
Disney confirmed plans for this remake in May 2016. By December 2017, the studio announced that Marshall was being considered to direct. Cast members—including Bailey, Hauer-King, McCarthy, Bardem, Diggs, Tremblay, and Awkwafina—signed on between July and November 2019. Principal photography was originally scheduled to start in London in early 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Filming eventually ran from January to July 2021, mainly at Pinewood Studios in England and on Sardinia. Composer Alan Menken returned to expand the score and create new songs with Lin-Manuel Miranda, who also produced alongside Marc Platt, John DeLuca, and Marshall. The movie is dedicated to Howard Ashman, who co-produced and co-wrote songs for the original film.
*The Little Mermaid* debuted at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on May 8, 2023, and hit U.S. theaters on May 26 through Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Critics gave it mixed reviews. It earned over $569 million worldwide, with $298 million coming from the United States and Canada. With a production budget of $240.2 million, it ranks as Disney’s twenty-third most expensive film ever made.
**Plot**
In the underwater kingdom of Atlantica, the mermaid princess Ariel is drawn to the human world and keeps a collection of human objects in her grotto, even though she has never visited the surface. Her father, King Triton, forbids all merfolk from going there after Ariel’s mother was killed by a human. Ariel and her friend Flounder often visit Scuttle, a northern gannet who offers them inaccurate facts about humans.
One night, Ariel sees fireworks above the ocean and swims up to watch. They come from the ship of Prince Eric, who rules a nearby island.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Rob Marshall
- Screenplay
- David Magee
- Based On
- "The Little Mermaid" · Hans Christian Andersen / Disney's The Little Mermaid · John Musker · Ron Clements
- Producer
- Marc Platt / Lin-Manuel Miranda / John DeLuca / Rob Marshall
- Starring
- Halle Bailey / Jonah Hauer-King / Daveed Diggs / Awkwafina / Jacob Tremblay / Noma Dumezweni / Art Malik / Javier Bardem / Melissa McCarthy
- Cinematography
- Dion Beebe
- Editing
- Wyatt Smith
- Music
- Alan Menken
- Production Companies
- Walt Disney Pictures / DeLuca Marshall / Marc Platt Productions
- Distributor
- Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
- Released
- 8 May 2023 · Dolby Theatre · 2023 · 5 · 26 · United States
- Runtime
- 135 minutes
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Plans for a Little Mermaid remake were confirmed in May 2016. In December 2017, Disney announced Rob Marshall was being courted to direct. Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Melissa McCarthy, Javier Bardem, Daveed Diggs, Jacob Tremblay, Awkwafina, and the rest of the cast joined between July and November 2019. Principal photography was slated to begin in London in early 2020 but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic; filming ultimately took place from January to July 2021, primarily at Pinewood Studios in England and on the island of Sardinia. Composer Alan Menken returned to augment the score and write new songs alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda, who serves as a producer with Marc Platt, John DeLuca, and Marshall. The film is dedicated to the late Howard Ashman, who co-produced and co-wrote the songs from the original film.
Reader's Guide
The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed over $569 million worldwide, including $298 million in the United States and Canada. Produced on a budget of $240.2 million, it became Disney's twenty-third most expensive film production to date. The story follows Ariel's fascination with the human world, her deal with Ursula to become human for three days in exchange for her voice, and her quest for true love's kiss to remain human permanently. The cast includes new characters such as Queen Selina, Eric's adoptive mother, and Vanessa, Ursula's human alter ego. The film's significance lies in its live-action reimagining of a beloved animated classic, with updated casting and expanded character backgrounds, while retaining the core themes of sacrifice, family, and the desire for a different world.
Did You Know?
- The character Scuttle is portrayed as a female northern gannet instead of a male seagull as in the original, to feature the character in underwater scenes.
- The film became Disney's twenty-third most expensive film production to date, with a budget of $240.2 million.
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