A few years have passed since we first learned about Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid. It’s just one of many of their animated films to get the live-action adaptation treatment. This version sees Rob Marshall direct and Halle Bailey play the star role of Ariel. D23 Expo brought the first tease for the upcoming film during Disney’s movie presentation and it wants to be part of your world. Though the company showed the complete song “Part of Your World” as an exclusive at the convention, Disney did release a sneak peek for the rest of us.
“Part of Your World” is one of the most iconic Disney animation songs. It makes all the sense that they’d showcase it first. Marshall brought back Alan Menken to work with Lin-Manuel Miranda on four new songs for the live-action The Little Mermaid. Whatever the songs may be, we can’t wait to hear Bailey belt them out.
The teaser shows a rich life under the sea and a pretty enchanting design for Ariel’s mermaid fin. It’s not a story that seems to lend itself to an easy live-action interpretation. We have our fingers crossed that the movie will dazzle. The movie’s synopsis says:
The Little Mermaid is the beloved story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. The youngest of King Triton’s daughters, and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea, and while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart. She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land, but ultimately places her life – and her father’s crown – in jeopardy.
Besides Halle Bailey as Ariel, the cast is stacked. Daveed Diggs plays the voice of Sebastian, Jacob Tremblay voices Flounder, and Awkwafina voices Scuttle. Jonah Hauer-King portrays as Prince Eric, the human Ariel leaves everything before. And King Triton? Javier Bardem will take the royal role. Last but not least, Melissa McCarthy plays Ursula.
The Little Mermaid will premiere on May 26, 2023.
Amy Ratcliffe is the Editor-in-Chief for Nerdist and the author of Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy, The Art of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, The Jedi Mind, and more. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
