Disney‘s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid is swimming onto the home market in September with a Digital, 4K Uhd, Blu-ray, and DVD rollout. The Little Mermaid arrives exclusively on Digital retailers on July 25 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on September 19.
Per Disney’s official press release:
The Little Mermaid is visionary filmmaker Rob Marshall’s live-action reimagining of Disney’s beloved animated musical classic, the 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...
Per Disney’s official press release:
The Little Mermaid is visionary filmmaker Rob Marshall’s live-action reimagining of Disney’s beloved animated musical classic, the 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...
- 7/6/2023
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
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Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid is in theaters now and winning over audiences everywhere. But fans have also been charmed by the Little Mermaid soundtrack, which is now available to stream or buy online.
See Tickets and Showtimes for The Little Mermaid (2023)
The 2023 Little Mermaid soundtrack features all the memorable songs from the original 1989 animated film, plus four new original songs composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda...
Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid is in theaters now and winning over audiences everywhere. But fans have also been charmed by the Little Mermaid soundtrack, which is now available to stream or buy online.
See Tickets and Showtimes for The Little Mermaid (2023)
The 2023 Little Mermaid soundtrack features all the memorable songs from the original 1989 animated film, plus four new original songs composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda...
- 5/31/2023
- by Tim Chan
- Rollingstone.com
Family audiences turned out in force, propelling Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” to the top of the box office over the Memorial Day weekend. The film, a live-action remake of the 1988 animated favorite, earned a splashy $117.5 million over the four-day holiday. It ranks as the fifth largest Memorial Day debut — last year’s “Top Gun: Maverick” set a new record for the holiday with its $160.5 million launch. At one point over the weekend, it looked as if “The Little Mermaid” might even open north of $120 million, but ticket sales flagged slightly.
For Disney, the film’s popularity is a testament to its strategy of digging deep into its vaults and rebooting animated titles as live action movies, something it has done successfully with the likes of “Aladdin,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Lion King.” Waiting out on the horizon: Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, the Oscar-winning director of “Summer of Soul,...
For Disney, the film’s popularity is a testament to its strategy of digging deep into its vaults and rebooting animated titles as live action movies, something it has done successfully with the likes of “Aladdin,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Lion King.” Waiting out on the horizon: Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, the Oscar-winning director of “Summer of Soul,...
- 5/29/2023
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
There wouldn't be "The Little Mermaid" without Howard Ashman. There probably wouldn't be many of the most beloved Disney movies without him. Ashman was credited as a lyricist on 1989's "The Little Mermaid," 1991's "Beauty and the Beast," and 1992's "Aladdin," but he also worked as a storyteller behind the scenes, whipping the movies into shape and helping create the framework of a Disney animated movie that the studio continued to use throughout the '90s.
Don Hahn, who produced "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Lion King," said in his 2009 documentary, "Waking Sleeping Beauty," about the history of Walt Disney Feature Animation, "Howard is referred to by Roy Disney as another Walt. To us, and to our generation, he was a Walt Disney type." Hahn also directed the 2018 documentary "Howard" about Ashman's life and his work for Disney.
"The animation studio was basically shutting down," Jodi Benson, who voices Ariel in the original film,...
Don Hahn, who produced "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Lion King," said in his 2009 documentary, "Waking Sleeping Beauty," about the history of Walt Disney Feature Animation, "Howard is referred to by Roy Disney as another Walt. To us, and to our generation, he was a Walt Disney type." Hahn also directed the 2018 documentary "Howard" about Ashman's life and his work for Disney.
"The animation studio was basically shutting down," Jodi Benson, who voices Ariel in the original film,...
- 5/29/2023
- by Victoria Edel
- Popsugar.com
“The Little Mermaid” made moviegoers want to be under the sea on Memorial Day weekend.
Disney’s live-action remake of its 1989 animated classic easily outswam the competition, bringing in $95.5 million on 4,320 screens in North America, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Read More: Halle Bailey Meets Adorable Young Fan With ‘Little Mermaid’ Doll At U.K. Premiere
And Disney estimates the film starring Halle Bailey as the titular mermaid Ariel and Melissa McCarthy as her sea witch nemesis Ursula will reach $117.5 million by the time the holiday is over. It ranks as the fifth biggest Memorial Day weekend opening ever.
It displaces “Fast X” in the top spot. The 10th installment in the “Fast and Furious” franchise starring Vin Diesel has lagged behind more recent releases in the series, bringing in $23 million domestically for a two-week total of $108 million for Universal Pictures.
In its fourth weekend, Disney and Marvel’s “ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3...
Disney’s live-action remake of its 1989 animated classic easily outswam the competition, bringing in $95.5 million on 4,320 screens in North America, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Read More: Halle Bailey Meets Adorable Young Fan With ‘Little Mermaid’ Doll At U.K. Premiere
And Disney estimates the film starring Halle Bailey as the titular mermaid Ariel and Melissa McCarthy as her sea witch nemesis Ursula will reach $117.5 million by the time the holiday is over. It ranks as the fifth biggest Memorial Day weekend opening ever.
It displaces “Fast X” in the top spot. The 10th installment in the “Fast and Furious” franchise starring Vin Diesel has lagged behind more recent releases in the series, bringing in $23 million domestically for a two-week total of $108 million for Universal Pictures.
In its fourth weekend, Disney and Marvel’s “ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3...
- 5/29/2023
- by Corey Atad
- ET Canada
Disney live-action adaptations have been hit or miss (well ... mostly miss). One of the biggest complaints has been about the computer-generated images of animal characters. These realistic remakes seem incongruent with the original purpose of the animated features. Disney animators designed animals and inanimate objects with human-like movements and expressions that made their high emotions relatable to viewers — especially younger ones.
It seems difficult for Disney to make animals appealing, emotive, and resemble real life at the same time. The 2019 version of "The Lion King" is one of the worst examples of the realism technique. The lions had an uncanny valley effect, their once-expressive faces reduced to a dead-eyed cipher. A hilarious tweet illustrates how unsettling the CGI is in the scene where Simba notices the incoming stampede. "Photo-real animals look wrong when they talk or sing," /Film's Josh Spiegel wrote of "The Lion King."
So, we've all been nervously...
It seems difficult for Disney to make animals appealing, emotive, and resemble real life at the same time. The 2019 version of "The Lion King" is one of the worst examples of the realism technique. The lions had an uncanny valley effect, their once-expressive faces reduced to a dead-eyed cipher. A hilarious tweet illustrates how unsettling the CGI is in the scene where Simba notices the incoming stampede. "Photo-real animals look wrong when they talk or sing," /Film's Josh Spiegel wrote of "The Lion King."
So, we've all been nervously...
- 5/29/2023
- by Caroline Madden
- Slash Film
A whole new generation of little girls are falling in love with “The Little Mermaid” and that’s thanks to Halle Bailey.
The 23-year-old actress stars as the titular, headstrong princess in Disney’s new live-action reimagining, and her casting has hit home in a big way for little Black girls who are seeing themselves portrayed as the beloved Disney character for the first time onscreen.
The film also stars Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, and Javier Bardem as King Triton, with Daveed Diggs as the voice of Sebastian the crab, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, and Awkwafina as Scuttle.
The role feels like a dream come true according to Bailey, whose previous forays into acting include starring alongside her older sister and musical partner, Chlöe Bailey, on Freeform’s “Grown-ish” series. The singer tells Et that while it “feels absolutely amazing” to join the iconic ranks of the Disney Princesses,...
The 23-year-old actress stars as the titular, headstrong princess in Disney’s new live-action reimagining, and her casting has hit home in a big way for little Black girls who are seeing themselves portrayed as the beloved Disney character for the first time onscreen.
The film also stars Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, and Javier Bardem as King Triton, with Daveed Diggs as the voice of Sebastian the crab, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, and Awkwafina as Scuttle.
The role feels like a dream come true according to Bailey, whose previous forays into acting include starring alongside her older sister and musical partner, Chlöe Bailey, on Freeform’s “Grown-ish” series. The singer tells Et that while it “feels absolutely amazing” to join the iconic ranks of the Disney Princesses,...
- 5/28/2023
- by Brent Furdyk
- ET Canada
Visual effects supervisor Tim Burke describes the complex digital effects used to put “truly amazing” Halle Bailey as Ariel and the rest of the castmembers under the sea in Rob Marshall’s new musical adaptation of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, which is projected to earn as much as $120 million over the four-day holiday.
In a new episode of The Hollywood Reporter‘s Behind the Screen podcast, Burke — an Academy Award winner for Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, who was additionally nominated for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2 — details the VFX process for making the film, which involved lensing the actors on rigs and the creation of hundreds of CG creatures under the sea.
To capture the performances of Bailey and other actors playing aquatic characters, “it really seemed that the principle for this would be to put actors on...
In a new episode of The Hollywood Reporter‘s Behind the Screen podcast, Burke — an Academy Award winner for Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, who was additionally nominated for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2 — details the VFX process for making the film, which involved lensing the actors on rigs and the creation of hundreds of CG creatures under the sea.
To capture the performances of Bailey and other actors playing aquatic characters, “it really seemed that the principle for this would be to put actors on...
- 5/27/2023
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When it was released in 1989, Disney’s The Little Mermaid was a creative breath of fresh air for an animation studio thought to be well beyond its glory days. The bouncy, colorful fairy tale, fueled by instant-classic songs by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, kick-started a renaissance for Disney animation, taking it beyond the drab days of The Rescuers and Oliver & Company and into an era that included Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King.
But like those three classics – each one rightfully considered a gem in the Mouse House’s crown – The Little Mermaid has now long been milked for all possible profit through theatrical re-releases, home video sales and sequels, amusement park rides, and Broadway musicals. It now receives Disney’s last squeeze: a creatively inferior, bloated live-action remake that trades the energy of animation for cinematic karaoke.
Rob Marshall brings Disney’s version of the...
But like those three classics – each one rightfully considered a gem in the Mouse House’s crown – The Little Mermaid has now long been milked for all possible profit through theatrical re-releases, home video sales and sequels, amusement park rides, and Broadway musicals. It now receives Disney’s last squeeze: a creatively inferior, bloated live-action remake that trades the energy of animation for cinematic karaoke.
Rob Marshall brings Disney’s version of the...
- 5/26/2023
- by Chris Williams
- CinemaNerdz
Director Rob Marshall knew from the outset that the hardest part of his live-action reimagining of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” would be pulling off the Oscar-winning “Under the Sea” Caribbean musical number. It wasn’t just the tricky translation from 2D to CG with hundreds of singing photoreal fish in the underwater environment (courtesy of Framestore’s expert animation) but also the complicated dance choreography set to the toe-tapping song by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman (to whom the film is dedicated).
And they killed it: The joyous musical number is the animated highlight of the film, which deservedly got the loudest applause at early screenings.
Performed by Sebastian the crab (voiced by Daveed Diggs), the song is a plea for young mermaid Ariel (Halle Bailey) to forget about joining Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) in the human world and stay sea-bound where she belongs. Considering the beauty,...
And they killed it: The joyous musical number is the animated highlight of the film, which deservedly got the loudest applause at early screenings.
Performed by Sebastian the crab (voiced by Daveed Diggs), the song is a plea for young mermaid Ariel (Halle Bailey) to forget about joining Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) in the human world and stay sea-bound where she belongs. Considering the beauty,...
- 5/26/2023
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
"The Little Mermaid" was a vital turning point for Disney. Released in 1989, it was the first princess story in 30 years since "Sleeping Beauty," Ariel was a rebellious heroine like no other, and composer Alan Menken and lyricist Howard Ashman created a Broadway-style soundtrack. The songs have emotional depth, guide the story along, and communicate the characters' inner desires.
The incredible vocal talents of the original film made these songs treasures. Jodi Benson's sweet, crystalline voice — especially in her pivotal number "Part of Your World" — defined Ariel as an adventurous young woman and a new generation of princesses who would stop at nothing to get what they want. Samuel E. Wright's booming voice and vivacious energy are perfect for the overdramatic crustacean — especially the classic romp "Under the Sea." The dramatic, deep-throated performance of "Poor Unfortunate Souls" by Pat Carroll is delightfully wicked. These musical numbers are beloved classics,...
The incredible vocal talents of the original film made these songs treasures. Jodi Benson's sweet, crystalline voice — especially in her pivotal number "Part of Your World" — defined Ariel as an adventurous young woman and a new generation of princesses who would stop at nothing to get what they want. Samuel E. Wright's booming voice and vivacious energy are perfect for the overdramatic crustacean — especially the classic romp "Under the Sea." The dramatic, deep-throated performance of "Poor Unfortunate Souls" by Pat Carroll is delightfully wicked. These musical numbers are beloved classics,...
- 5/26/2023
- by Caroline Madden
- Slash Film
In 1989, the 7-year-old Daveed Diggs queued up outside Oakland’s Grand Lake Theatre, his hometown multiplex, to see “The Little Mermaid” with his father, Dountes.
“It must’ve been opening weekend. The line wrapped around the block,” Diggs recalls. “I remember loving Scuttle, thinking he was just the funniest thing I’d seen up to that point, and loving the songs.”
Thirty years later, Diggs is a Tony- and Grammy-winning actor, rapper and filmmaker, best known for “Blindspotting” (both the 2018 film and the Starz series) and “Hamilton,” where he delighted Broadway audiences by putting his unique imprint on Thomas Jefferson and the Marquis de Lafayette. After playing those historical figures night after night, one might imagine he’d have no qualms about taking on another well-known character — the calypso-singing crab Sebastian in Disney’s live-action “The Little Mermaid,” which opens on May 26.
But Diggs’ insecurities — much like Sebastian’s persistent...
“It must’ve been opening weekend. The line wrapped around the block,” Diggs recalls. “I remember loving Scuttle, thinking he was just the funniest thing I’d seen up to that point, and loving the songs.”
Thirty years later, Diggs is a Tony- and Grammy-winning actor, rapper and filmmaker, best known for “Blindspotting” (both the 2018 film and the Starz series) and “Hamilton,” where he delighted Broadway audiences by putting his unique imprint on Thomas Jefferson and the Marquis de Lafayette. After playing those historical figures night after night, one might imagine he’d have no qualms about taking on another well-known character — the calypso-singing crab Sebastian in Disney’s live-action “The Little Mermaid,” which opens on May 26.
But Diggs’ insecurities — much like Sebastian’s persistent...
- 5/25/2023
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
There is a moment near the end of The Little Mermaid, the latest in Disney’s ongoing series of live-action (or “sort of live-action”) remakes in which King Triton (Javier Bardem) emerges from the deep to impart a message to his mermaid daughter Ariel (Halle Bailey). This is supposed to be the mighty god of the sea, but Bardem’s outfit of armored scales looks cheap in the sunlight—a fact previously hidden by watching it in mostly dark scenes—and the actor appears to be standing in about three feet of water in a pool.
It feels like director Rob Marshall just wanted to get the shot in the can and say the hell with it, let’s move on. And it’s unfortunate that a lot of 2023’s The Little Mermaid feels just as perfunctory. And damn long as well. The 1989 original was 83 minutes in length; this one is 135 minutes,...
It feels like director Rob Marshall just wanted to get the shot in the can and say the hell with it, let’s move on. And it’s unfortunate that a lot of 2023’s The Little Mermaid feels just as perfunctory. And damn long as well. The 1989 original was 83 minutes in length; this one is 135 minutes,...
- 5/25/2023
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
In John Musker's and Ron Clements' 1989 feature film "The Little Mermaid," the title character Ariel (Jodi Benson) has fallen in love with a human, a stringently verboten act in the mer-world. She longs to attract her human paramour's attention, much to the chagrin of the crab Sebastian (Samuel E. Wright), a servant to the king, her father. In order to convince Ariel that life under the sea is better than life on dry land, Sebastian launches into a hummable (and Academy Award-winning) song called "Under the Sea." He sings about how all the nearby ocean creatures are musically gifted, can all dance, and can all play instruments. The entire vicinity breaks into music hoping to convince Ariel of her misplaced desires. While the Academy may have been convinced that "Under the Sea" was a great song, Ariel was not. She swam away to pursue the man of her dreams.
- 5/23/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Beneath every placid surface and between each crashing wave, the movies’ most magical aquatic adventures portend the possibility of mermaids. Half-human, half-fish creatures swam onto the big screen at the turn of the 20th century, appearing in silent works such as Georges Méliès‘ 1904 short film “The Mermaid” and John G. Adolfi’s 1918 feature “Queen of the Sea” among others. The mythical archetype was subsequently reeled in as the effervescent love interest template for numerous ’30s and ’40s rom-coms, with the concept perfected in Irving Pichel’s well-loved talky “Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid,” starring Ann Blyth.
The siren songs characteristic of these mysterious ocean-dwellers even resulted in a string of MGM aqua musicals. Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” brought the mermaid musical to the animation-loving masses in 1989, winning Best Original Score and Best Original Song for “Under the Sea” at the Oscars. Darryl Hannah appeared opposite Tom Hanks not much...
The siren songs characteristic of these mysterious ocean-dwellers even resulted in a string of MGM aqua musicals. Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” brought the mermaid musical to the animation-loving masses in 1989, winning Best Original Score and Best Original Song for “Under the Sea” at the Oscars. Darryl Hannah appeared opposite Tom Hanks not much...
- 5/22/2023
- by Alison Foreman
- Indiewire
This article appears in the new issue of Den Of Geek magazine. Get your copy here.
If you want to see a musical adapted from stage to screen and adapted well, Rob Marshall is your dream director. For Chicago, he went high-concept, recontextualizing the Broadway songs as vaudeville numbers from the imagination of Roxie Hart. With Into the Woods, every prince, witch, and baker’s wife got a show-stopping number that justified why movie audiences should care about them. Marshall is keenly aware that, while theater is a heightened space in which it’s completely natural for characters to belt out their “I want” and torch songs, onscreen, it’s a tougher sell.
“You have to earn a song, especially in a movie,” he tells Den of Geek magazine. “It has to feel seamless coming from story and character.” For his live-action adaptation of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, that...
If you want to see a musical adapted from stage to screen and adapted well, Rob Marshall is your dream director. For Chicago, he went high-concept, recontextualizing the Broadway songs as vaudeville numbers from the imagination of Roxie Hart. With Into the Woods, every prince, witch, and baker’s wife got a show-stopping number that justified why movie audiences should care about them. Marshall is keenly aware that, while theater is a heightened space in which it’s completely natural for characters to belt out their “I want” and torch songs, onscreen, it’s a tougher sell.
“You have to earn a song, especially in a movie,” he tells Den of Geek magazine. “It has to feel seamless coming from story and character.” For his live-action adaptation of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, that...
- 5/22/2023
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
I have a confession to make. I'm not a big fan of Disney's 1989 adaptation of "The Little Mermaid." There are aspects of it I do enjoy, but the story surrounding Ariel and Prince Eric's romance hasn't aged well. At all.
So much so, in fact, that when my toddler asks to watch "the merfmaid" (Ariel's Undersea Adventure attraction at Disney California Adventure introduced her to the Disney version of the tale), I turn on the direct-to-video prequel released in 2008: "The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning." Does the movie hold a flame to the first film? It does not. But even though the mom dies in "Ariel's Beginning", it doesn't send the message to my daughter that girls should sacrifice parts of themselves to be with someone, much less someone you just met, where the only connection you share is that you both think the other is attractive.
It's been 34 years...
So much so, in fact, that when my toddler asks to watch "the merfmaid" (Ariel's Undersea Adventure attraction at Disney California Adventure introduced her to the Disney version of the tale), I turn on the direct-to-video prequel released in 2008: "The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning." Does the movie hold a flame to the first film? It does not. But even though the mom dies in "Ariel's Beginning", it doesn't send the message to my daughter that girls should sacrifice parts of themselves to be with someone, much less someone you just met, where the only connection you share is that you both think the other is attractive.
It's been 34 years...
- 5/22/2023
- by Vanessa Armstrong
- Slash Film
Disney’s attempts to reinvent their animated classics as live action versions has proven to be largely a smart boxoffice play, but one with a mixed creative result. Certainly some were huge hits like Bill Condon’s Beauty And The Beast and Guy Ritchie’s less enchanting Aladdin. Others effectively created photo-real animals in The Lion King and The Jungle Book. Older Disney staples have gotten the treatment by focusing on the villains in Cruella and Maleficent and their sequels, even an unfortunate Disney + attempt on the untouchable (if you ask me) Lady And The Tramp. But even approaching an animated masterpiece, 1989’s The Little Mermaid and essentially trying to make a splashy (sorry) big screen live action musical that works above and under the water seems dicey on paper. So what do you do? Bring in Rob Marshall, and as it turns out that is all the new live action The Little Mermaid needed.
- 5/22/2023
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
We’ve been here before, haven’t we? A Disney live-action remake igniting a round of existential debate? This time it’s Rob Marshall’s interpretation of The Little Mermaid, based on John Musker and Ron Clement’s 1989 version and starring Halle Bailey as the titular sea creature. It features new music by Lin-Manuel Miranda and wrings as much as possible from the corporation’s CGI budget.
The questions raised by this faithful adaptation are familiar, but answering them only matters to an extent. Nostalgia pays in cash, correctives in publicity. For the global conglomerate’s bottom line, remaking classics is worth it. That these already tempered fairytales are retrofitted for contemporary audiences is merely a bonus.
Marshall’s Ariel (Bailey) is Black — a choice that sent scores of people clutching their pearls and reverting to racist protestations. Their complaints of a nonexistent white erasure are littered across the internet under the hashtag #NotMyAriel.
The questions raised by this faithful adaptation are familiar, but answering them only matters to an extent. Nostalgia pays in cash, correctives in publicity. For the global conglomerate’s bottom line, remaking classics is worth it. That these already tempered fairytales are retrofitted for contemporary audiences is merely a bonus.
Marshall’s Ariel (Bailey) is Black — a choice that sent scores of people clutching their pearls and reverting to racist protestations. Their complaints of a nonexistent white erasure are littered across the internet under the hashtag #NotMyAriel.
- 5/22/2023
- by Lovia Gyarkye
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Halle Bailey in The Little MermaidPhoto: Disney
Another day, another Disney remake. The Mouse House’s decade-long trend of realizing their animated canon in live action—or whatever The Lion King was—has been commented upon ad nauseum, criticized for their revisionism of stories that didn’t need revising and...
Another day, another Disney remake. The Mouse House’s decade-long trend of realizing their animated canon in live action—or whatever The Lion King was—has been commented upon ad nauseum, criticized for their revisionism of stories that didn’t need revising and...
- 5/22/2023
- by Leigh Monson
- avclub.com
On Monday, Disney held the gala premiere in Los Angeles for its live-action remake of the animated classic “The Little Mermaid.” So you know what that means: The first online reactions are in.
So how did the audience feel about the film, which stars Halle Bailey in the title role alongside Jonah Hauer-King, Javier Bardem, Daveed Diggs, Jacob Tremblay, Awkwafina and Melissa McCarthy? Did they consider it under the sea? Or do they want to be a part of its world?
Well, for the most part, people who saw it, loved it. Obviously, huge grain of salt here as always, since premiere events are designed to make attendees feel as positive as possible. That aside, the film is being praised as “close to being the best live action Disney movie,” “an absolute joy to watch,” and similarly enthused sentiments. And pretty much everyone had massive praise for Bailey.
But there...
So how did the audience feel about the film, which stars Halle Bailey in the title role alongside Jonah Hauer-King, Javier Bardem, Daveed Diggs, Jacob Tremblay, Awkwafina and Melissa McCarthy? Did they consider it under the sea? Or do they want to be a part of its world?
Well, for the most part, people who saw it, loved it. Obviously, huge grain of salt here as always, since premiere events are designed to make attendees feel as positive as possible. That aside, the film is being praised as “close to being the best live action Disney movie,” “an absolute joy to watch,” and similarly enthused sentiments. And pretty much everyone had massive praise for Bailey.
But there...
- 5/9/2023
- by Ross A. Lincoln
- The Wrap
Disney’s The Little Mermaid live-action remake has screened for its first public audience, and reactions are coming out from Monday’s premiere. The feature is due out in theaters May 26 and tells the story of a mermaid who decides to join the human world.
The Little Mermaid stars Halle Bailey as Ariel. Also in the film are Javier Bardem, Awkwafina, Jonah Hauer-King and Melissa McCarthy as the villain Ursula.
Rob Marshall directs the remake of the 1989 Disney animated classic. Alan Menken returned to update his score and to write a new song with lyrics from Lin-Manuel Miranda. Four new songs have been added to the film as well.
The remake business has been lucrative for Disney, with Beauty and the Beast (2017), Aladdin (2019) and The Lion King (2019) topping $1 billion globally. Its also has Snow White, starring Rachel Zegler, due out in March of 2024. Lilo & Stitch is currently filming, while director...
The Little Mermaid stars Halle Bailey as Ariel. Also in the film are Javier Bardem, Awkwafina, Jonah Hauer-King and Melissa McCarthy as the villain Ursula.
Rob Marshall directs the remake of the 1989 Disney animated classic. Alan Menken returned to update his score and to write a new song with lyrics from Lin-Manuel Miranda. Four new songs have been added to the film as well.
The remake business has been lucrative for Disney, with Beauty and the Beast (2017), Aladdin (2019) and The Lion King (2019) topping $1 billion globally. Its also has Snow White, starring Rachel Zegler, due out in March of 2024. Lilo & Stitch is currently filming, while director...
- 5/9/2023
- by Aaron Couch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The go-to artist for musicals in recent years is the writer/creator of the newest sensation, Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda. The esteemed songwriter has been behind such music for films like In the Heights, Moana, Encanto, and more. As Disney checks through their list of old animated classics to give live-action remakes, when it comes to updating or welcoming new additions to the soundtracks for these adaptations, Miranda is given carte blanche to create new tunes that update and honor the originals. According to Empire, Miranda is such a fan of the original 1989 animated film, The Little Mermaid, when given the task to write new music for the live-action adaptation, he would make sure not to drop the ball by appointing himself the “Head of the Don’t Fuck It Up Committee.” Miranda would tell Empire when he was offered the chance to be involved with the Rob Marshall re-imagining, “I said,...
- 4/13/2023
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
When it comes to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s live-action reimagining of Ariel’s aquatic adventure.
Writing the new musical numbers – ‘For The First Time’, for Halle Bailey. “And I will weigh in when I think you’re fuckin’ it up!”
While Marshall wanted more songs to add to the original set of legendary Howard Ashman and Alan Menken compositions, Miranda – who collaborated with Menken on the new songs – was intent on keeping the magic of the animated film intact. “I said, ‘Happy to write new lyrics if they need them. And if they don’t, I won’t,’” he explains. “I do not want to shoehorn [in] a song that no-one wants to sit through, because they want to get to ‘Under The Sea’ already. I’m that person! ‘Get On With ‘Under The Sea’!’” And you thought Ursula was scary…
Read Empire’s full The Little Mermaid feature – talking to Rob Marshall,...
Writing the new musical numbers – ‘For The First Time’, for Halle Bailey. “And I will weigh in when I think you’re fuckin’ it up!”
While Marshall wanted more songs to add to the original set of legendary Howard Ashman and Alan Menken compositions, Miranda – who collaborated with Menken on the new songs – was intent on keeping the magic of the animated film intact. “I said, ‘Happy to write new lyrics if they need them. And if they don’t, I won’t,’” he explains. “I do not want to shoehorn [in] a song that no-one wants to sit through, because they want to get to ‘Under The Sea’ already. I’m that person! ‘Get On With ‘Under The Sea’!’” And you thought Ursula was scary…
Read Empire’s full The Little Mermaid feature – talking to Rob Marshall,...
- 4/13/2023
- by Ben Travis
- Empire - Movies
In some ways, making a live-action(ish) version of Disney’s The Little Mermaid seems like a no-brainer – especially when most of the studio’s animated classics are getting reimagined remakes. But, of all of the Disney Renaissance movies, the tale of Ariel and her quest to grow legs brings some of the most considerable challenges. It’s not just that the original is legendary – it’s the idea of making a fantastical, fish-focused movie musical that largely takes place underwater, where half of the characters are sea creatures being rendered as photoreal entities by an army of VFX wizards.
For veteran director Rob Marshall – the near-impossibility was part of the appeal. “How do you begin creating an underwater musical?” he muses, speaking to _Empire. “It’s never been done before. That fear ignited something in me.” And he rooted his answers in the rules of musical cinema. “We introduce the singing underwater,...
For veteran director Rob Marshall – the near-impossibility was part of the appeal. “How do you begin creating an underwater musical?” he muses, speaking to _Empire. “It’s never been done before. That fear ignited something in me.” And he rooted his answers in the rules of musical cinema. “We introduce the singing underwater,...
- 4/11/2023
- by Ben Travis
- Empire - Movies
Disney’s original animated The Little Mermaid features some of the most iconic songs in the studio’s extensive history (‘Under The Sea’! ‘Part Of Your World’! ‘Kiss The Girl’!), from Broadway legends Alan Menken to deliver a handful of fresh tunes, fleshing out the journey of mermaid Ariel as she swaps her fins for feet.
One of those songs is a brand new Ariel number for star Halle Bailey, arriving at a pivotal point in the story – and as Marshall tells Empire, it’s titled ‘For The First Time’. “It’s about her experiences the moment she hits land,” he reveals. “We needed to create a number that could almost work as a montage, so we could take her through that experience – coming onto the land, what it’s like to put on shoes, have legs.” And given that that’s both everything Ariel’s dreamed of, but also something daunting and new,...
One of those songs is a brand new Ariel number for star Halle Bailey, arriving at a pivotal point in the story – and as Marshall tells Empire, it’s titled ‘For The First Time’. “It’s about her experiences the moment she hits land,” he reveals. “We needed to create a number that could almost work as a montage, so we could take her through that experience – coming onto the land, what it’s like to put on shoes, have legs.” And given that that’s both everything Ariel’s dreamed of, but also something daunting and new,...
- 3/13/2023
- by Ben Travis
- Empire - Movies
"The Little Mermaid" saved Walt Disney Feature Animation in 1989. It earned rave reviews from critics like Roger Ebert, who wrote that "the magic of animation has been restored to us." It won an Academy Award and a Grammy for the hit song "Under the Sea." Best of all, the film popularized animated musicals; not just animated films with songs, but films with songs that expressed motivation and character as aptly as the animation did. Lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken, responsible for the off-Broadway legend "Little Shop of Horrors," brought their hard-won expertise to a project that was floundering on the rocks. The results didn't just set the standard for the Disney Renaissance; they set the standard for its competition. For the first time in many years, Disney took the lead as opposed to ceding ground to challengers like Don Bluth. Not every film in the coming years would be successful,...
- 2/25/2023
- by Adam Wescott
- Slash Film
It’s only three months until the release of “The Little Mermaid,” Disney’s newest live-action remake of a classic animated film/license to print money. The second teaser trailer is here, and this one gives us a dimly-lit glimpse of (and listen to) Melissa McCarthy as the evil sea witch Ursula.
The original Disney adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s tale from 1989 won two Oscars—Best Score for Alan Menken, and Best Original Song for “Under the Sea” for Menken and Howard Ashman. The film is also widely credited as sparking the “Disney Renaissance,” which put the studio back on top as a cultural powerhouse with a string of movies based on classic fables. Two years later they released “Beauty and the Beast,” the first animated film ever to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar.
Naturally, anticipation is high for “The Little Mermaid (2023)” The new iteration comes from a slew of heavy-hitting creatives.
The original Disney adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s tale from 1989 won two Oscars—Best Score for Alan Menken, and Best Original Song for “Under the Sea” for Menken and Howard Ashman. The film is also widely credited as sparking the “Disney Renaissance,” which put the studio back on top as a cultural powerhouse with a string of movies based on classic fables. Two years later they released “Beauty and the Beast,” the first animated film ever to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar.
Naturally, anticipation is high for “The Little Mermaid (2023)” The new iteration comes from a slew of heavy-hitting creatives.
- 2/16/2023
- by Jordan Hoffman
- Gold Derby
Los Angeles, Feb 16 (Ians) Disney has unveiled a new teaser for its live-action remake of ‘The Little Mermaid’, beckoning viewers to become part of Ariel’s world.
The upcoming musical, directed by Rob Marshall, reimagines the original 1989 animated film with live actors. The new adaptation will once again see the mermaid Ariel fall for a human prince who lives above the water, spurring a devilish plot from the nefarious Ursula, reports ‘Variety’.
Halle Bailey stars as Ariel, alongside Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Jacob Tremblay as the voice of Flounder and Daveed Diggs as the voice of Sebastian. The trailer gives a first look at Ursula and Prince Eric.
Disney first announced Bailey would be taking on the role of Ariel in July 2019.
A first teaser for the new film dropped in September 2022, spurring much love for Bailey’s singing – even...
The upcoming musical, directed by Rob Marshall, reimagines the original 1989 animated film with live actors. The new adaptation will once again see the mermaid Ariel fall for a human prince who lives above the water, spurring a devilish plot from the nefarious Ursula, reports ‘Variety’.
Halle Bailey stars as Ariel, alongside Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Jacob Tremblay as the voice of Flounder and Daveed Diggs as the voice of Sebastian. The trailer gives a first look at Ursula and Prince Eric.
Disney first announced Bailey would be taking on the role of Ariel in July 2019.
A first teaser for the new film dropped in September 2022, spurring much love for Bailey’s singing – even...
- 2/16/2023
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
“The Little Mermaid,” Walt Disney Animation Studios’ 28th animated film, has been transformed into a live-action feature from “Chicago” and “Mary Poppins Returns” director Rob Marshall. And Disney just released a new look at the upcoming feature and gave us the first glimpse at Melissa McCarthy’s Ursula (watch below).
Continuing the #Disney100 celebration with this new look at #TheLittleMermaid! Just 100 days until it arrives in theaters! pic.twitter.com/7twNjlD5Jz
— The Little Mermaid (@LittleMermaid) February 15, 2023
Set to the tune of “Part of Your World,” sung beautifully by our new Ariel, Halle Bailey, the 30 second clip shows bits from that song’s big number, along with what appear to be moments ripped from the “Daughters of Triton,” “Under the Sea” and “Kiss the Girl” numbers. (Prince Eric is played by English actor Jonah Hauer-King.) The kicker is our first look at this movie’s version of Ursula, played by Melissa McCarthy,...
Continuing the #Disney100 celebration with this new look at #TheLittleMermaid! Just 100 days until it arrives in theaters! pic.twitter.com/7twNjlD5Jz
— The Little Mermaid (@LittleMermaid) February 15, 2023
Set to the tune of “Part of Your World,” sung beautifully by our new Ariel, Halle Bailey, the 30 second clip shows bits from that song’s big number, along with what appear to be moments ripped from the “Daughters of Triton,” “Under the Sea” and “Kiss the Girl” numbers. (Prince Eric is played by English actor Jonah Hauer-King.) The kicker is our first look at this movie’s version of Ursula, played by Melissa McCarthy,...
- 2/15/2023
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
Disney has unveiled a new teaser for its live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid,” beckoning viewers to become part of Ariel’s world.
The upcoming musical, directed by Rob Marshall, reimagines the original 1989 animated film with live actors. The new adaptation will once again see the mermaid Ariel fall for a human prince who lives above the water, spurring a devilish plot from the nefarious Ursula.
Halle Bailey stars as Ariel, alongside Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Jacob Tremblay as the voice of Flounder and Daveed Diggs as the voice of Sebastian. The trailer gives a first look at Ursula and Prince Eric.
Disney first announced Bailey would be taking on the role of Ariel in July 2019. A first teaser for the new film dropped in Sept. 2022, spurring much love for Bailey’s singing — even if she only appeared on-screen for 15 seconds.
The upcoming musical, directed by Rob Marshall, reimagines the original 1989 animated film with live actors. The new adaptation will once again see the mermaid Ariel fall for a human prince who lives above the water, spurring a devilish plot from the nefarious Ursula.
Halle Bailey stars as Ariel, alongside Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Jacob Tremblay as the voice of Flounder and Daveed Diggs as the voice of Sebastian. The trailer gives a first look at Ursula and Prince Eric.
Disney first announced Bailey would be taking on the role of Ariel in July 2019. A first teaser for the new film dropped in Sept. 2022, spurring much love for Bailey’s singing — even if she only appeared on-screen for 15 seconds.
- 2/15/2023
- by Katie Reul
- Variety Film + TV
In Disney Princess: Beyond the Tiara, longtime Rolling Stone contributor Emily Zemler takes a deep dive into how various beloved princesses became the cultural icons they are today, from Snow White’s lasting reign to newer, inspiring royalty like Moana.
The book weaves interviews with historians and those who helped shape the characters, including directors and voice talent, alongside concept art and memorabilia, and breaks down important themes integral to how the princesses serve as inspirations.
Music, of course, is a key element to the storytelling and what makes the characters resonate for decades,...
The book weaves interviews with historians and those who helped shape the characters, including directors and voice talent, alongside concept art and memorabilia, and breaks down important themes integral to how the princesses serve as inspirations.
Music, of course, is a key element to the storytelling and what makes the characters resonate for decades,...
- 9/20/2022
- by Althea Legaspi
- Rollingstone.com
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