Everything to Know About Disney's Live-Action The Little Mermaid (2024)

Get ready to go under the sea with the live-action adaptation of The 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 and Lin-Manuel Miranda attached to write additional music.

In 2019, Disney found its Ariel in Halle Bailey, who is best known as part of the R&B duo Chloe x Halle, and has also starred on Freeform's Grown-ish.

Since then, the studio has released a few glimpses of the set as well as the official trailer released during the Oscars, which showcases Bailey's stunning rendition of "Part of Your World."

From the cast to the release date, here's everything to know about Disney's live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid.

Who is in the live-action The Little Mermaid cast?

Alongside Bailey as Ariel, British actor Jonah Hauer-King stars as Prince Eric. The cast also includes Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Awkwafina as Scuttle, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian and Noma Dumezweni in a brand-new role.

What is the live-action The Little Mermaid about?

The film is a live-action retelling of the 1989 animated Disney film of the same name, which is loosely based on the 1837 Danish fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen.

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-action The Little Mermaid?

The film is directed by Rob Marshall, who previously worked with Disney on the film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods as well as the sequel to the 1964 film Mary Poppins, titled Mary Poppins Returns.

Who else is part of the production team for the live-action The Little Mermaid?

The screenplay is written by David Magee and Jane Goldman, from a story written by Magee, Marshall and John DeLuca.

Additionally, the film is produced by Marshall, DeLuca, Marc Platt and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Who is writing music for the live-action The Little Mermaid?

Miranda is teaming up with renowned composer Alan Menken, who wrote music for the original Little Mermaid film 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 as Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin.

During an interview with Vanity Fair, Menken also revealed that he and Miranda modified some of the songs' lyrics for 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-action The Little Mermaid soundtrack?

In addition to reimagining the original songs from the movie, Menken and Miranda have penned 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 told Variety of the classic songs, including "Under the Sea" and "Part of Your World."

"There's no bigger Little Mermaid fan than me," he added. "... But we found a couple of opportunities for some other music that I can't wait to see."

On May 19, Disney debuted the soundtrack for the live-action film. Featured on the album are the new songs, with lyrics byMiranda, including aHamilton-style rap led by Awkwafina called "The Scuttlebutt."

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-action The Little Mermaid film?

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 2021 and eventually wrapped that July.

Bailey celebrated the end of filming with 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...💖," she wrote 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-action The 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 at Melissa McCarthy as Ursula and Javier Bardem as King Triton.

Is there a poster for the live-action The Little Mermaid?

On Oct. 13, 2022, Bailey unveiled the first official poster for 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-action The Little Mermaid release date?

The film hits theaters on May 26, 2023.