The next animated Disney classic to get the live-action treatment is The Little Mermaid, and here’s everything you need to know about this new version. Walt Disney Pictures has become well-known for its animated features, but those led by female characters have been especially popular. Now, in recent years, there has been a trend in the film industry to adapt animated movies into live-action versions, with Disney classics being the main targets. Following the steps of movies like Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast, the next Disney movie in line to get a live-action version is The Little Mermaid.

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

Back in 1989, Walt Disney Pictures brought its own version of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale The Little Mermaid, directed by Ron Clements and John Musker. It tells the story of Ariel, a mermaid princess who falls in love with a human, Prince Eric. In order to be with him, she makes a deal with a powerful sea witch, Ursula, who turns her into a human but asks for her voice in exchange. The Little Mermaid was a big success upon its release, and it continues to be one of the most beloved Disney movies, so it’s not surprising that it became a target of the live-action trend.

A live-action version of The Little Mermaid was announced to be in development in 2016, and after some delays due to the coronavirus pandemic, it finally began filming in January 2021. Fans have already gotten a couple of looks at what The Little Mermaid will look like, and here’s everything you need to know about this live-action version of the Disney classic.

See also  Die Hard: 10 Scenes Viewers Love To Watch Over And Over

The Little Mermaid Cast

The Little Mermaid live-action cast counts on both well-established actors and newcomers who will benefit a lot from starring in a big production like this. Playing the lead role of Ariel is Halle Bailey, best known for being one half of the duo Chloe x Halle and for her role as Skylar Forster in Grown-ish, and she’s joined by Javier Bardem as King Triton, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Jude Akuwudike as Grimsby (Eric’s majordomo), and Noma Dumezweni as Carlotta (Eric’s housekeeper). Rounding up the cast are the actors who will lend their voices to some of the most unforgettable The Little Mermaid characters, as are Sebastian (Daveed Diggs), Flounder (Jacob Tremblay), and Scuttle (Awkwafina).

The Little Mermaid Story

As mentioned above, The Little Mermaid is all about Princess Ariel who dreams of exploring the human world and falls in love with a prince, leading her to make a dangerous deal with Ursula. The sea witch tricks the young princess in order for her to fail to be kissed by Eric and thus having her become her slave, but like in any other Disney classic, love always triumphs and Prince Eric and Ariel have their happily ever after. The live-action version of The Little Mermaid will follow the same story but with a couple of changes, and it might give Ariel more agency, as hinted through set photos.

The Little Mermaid Release Date

Unfortunately for fans of The Little Mermaid, this new version doesn’t have a release date yet. Production was delayed so many times that not even a projected release date has been revealed. However, production wrapped in July 2021, so if there are no more delays in post-production, The Little Mermaid could see the light in early or mid-2022, when it will hopefully be able to hit theaters instead of streaming, like other big Disney releases had to.

Josh Brolin Reflects on Almost Being Zack Snyder’s Batman in the DCEU

About The Author


Adrienne Tyler
(3273 Articles Published)

See also  10 Streamable TV Shows With Women-Loving-Women Storylines, Ranked By IMDb

Adrienne Tyler is a features writer for Screen Rant. She is an Audiovisual Communication graduate who wanted to be a filmmaker, but life had other plans (and it turned out great). Prior to Screen Rant, she wrote for Pop Wrapped, 4 Your Excitement (4YE), and D20Crit, where she was also a regular guest at Netfreaks podcast. She was also a contributor for FanSided’s BamSmackPow and 1428 Elm. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. Every time she manages to commit to a TV show without getting bored, an angel gets its wings.

When she’s not writing, you can find her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey (go Avs!), or wondering what life would have been like had Pushing Daisies, Firefly, and Limitless not been cancelled. Breakfast food is life and coffee is what makes the world go round.

Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. It was great.

More From Adrienne Tyler