Little Mermaid Has The Craziest Filmmaking Sebastian Actor Has Ever Seen

For Daveed Diggs, the new Sebastian in Disney’s live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid, the retelling of the animated classic has the craziest filmmaking he’s ever seen. Diggs is a singer and stage actor known for his work in the award-winning musical Hamilton, for which he won a Tony Award for Best Actor in 2016. Outside of theater, Diggs made his Hollywood debut in Disney’s Zootopia and acted alongside Julia Roberts in 2017’s Wonder. He’s currently seen in the post-apocalyptic TV series Snowpiercer starring Jennifer Connelly. Diggs’ role as Sebastian the Crab reunites him with Broadway icon Lin Manuel-Miranda, who has written new songs for the upcoming movie.

The Little Mermaid is the latest Disney classic to be given live-action treatment. Grown-ish actress and R&B singer Halle Bailey stars in her breakout role as Ariel. Other cast members include Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Javier Bardem as King Triton, and Melissa McCarthy as the villain Ursula. Diggs will be joined by Awkwafina and Jacob Tremblay, who will be voicing Ariel’s animal friends Scuttle and Flounder. Filming for The Little Mermaid began in London last year but was heavily delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It resumed in Italy earlier this year and wrapped up in July, with Bailey celebrating the production’s completion by debuting her first official glimpse as the titular character.

In a recent interview with Sirius XM, Diggs praised The Little Mermaid’s production for pressing on and finishing amid challenges brought about by the pandemic. Without giving away any spoilers, the 39-year-old Sebastian actor teased that the upcoming movie had the “craziest filmmaking” he’s ever witnessed. Diggs also gave props to Bailey, who will be making her big-screen debut as Ariel.

It was quite an undertaking. I’m excited too, I haven’t seen anything. It’s not like Disney’s giving me private screenings—I’ve seen nothing. I’m super excited because some of the stuff we were doing when we were on the stage were some of the beautiful, like, craziest filmmaking I’ve ever seen. I can’t wait. And Halle’s a star. She’s really, really special.

Diggs, who will be giving his own spin on the beloved crustacean, also said that the new movie’s music will be just as incredible. In the 1989 classic, Sebastian is characterized by his clumsy but adorable antics and crooning abilities. Digg reassured fans that the original film’s canon songs will be included in the new version. As such, fans can expect full-blown production for Sebastian’s popular hits such as “Kiss the Girl” and “Under the Sea.”

Diggs’ statement gives a hint on just how massive The Little Mermaid’s scope of production is. Unlike Disney’s previous live-action adaptations such as Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Aladdin, and Mulan, The Little Mermaid poses a different set of challenges because a large part of the story takes place underwater. It will be interesting to see how the actual scenes were filmed and mixed with CGI. While the studio has realistically presented the African pride lands in The Lion King, attaining magical aquatic effects is crucial to the movie’s success. That said, Disney has always proven to outdo itself with every release, and The Little Mermaid will no doubt impress fans once it hit theaters next year.

Source: Sirius XM

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