‘The Little Mermaid’ Becomes Part of Your (Live-Action) World in New Trailer
Disney has finally gotten around to live-action remaking the movie most Disney fans probably wanted to see most of all: The Little Mermaid, the 1989 classic based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale.
The new version comes from director Rob Marshall, and stars Halle Bailey as the title character, the underwater princess Ariel who dreams of becoming a human girl. Ursula the sea witch makes that possible — she’s played in this version by Melissa McCarthy. Of course, both of these talented actors have human legs, and so there will be a fair amount of special effects and animation involved in this “live-action” film.
A new trailer premiered tonight at the Oscars; watch it below. And yes, all the classic songs from the original film including “Part of Your World,” “Under the Sea,” “Kiss the Girl,” and “Poor Unfortunate Souls” are all in the new version.
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The new film also stars Jona Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Daveed Diggs as the voice of Sebastian, Awkwafina as the voice of Scuttle, Jacob Tremblay as the voice of Flounder, and Javier Bardem as Ariel’s dad, King Triton. Here is the film’s official synopsis:
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.
The Little Mermaid is scheduled to open in theaters on May 26, 2023.