Disney’s live-action “The Little Mermaid” will hit theaters on May 26, 2023, Disney announced on Friday.
“The Little Mermaid” is the live-action take on Disney’s 1989 animated musical classic. In addition to Halle Bailey as Ariel, it also stars Javier Bardem as King Triton, Melissa McCarthy as the wicked Ursula, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, Awkwafina as Scuttle, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder and Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric.
Bailey was cast to play Ariel in “The Little Mermaid” remake way back in 2019, but the film was one of many that was forced to shut down production before it could get going. It had since been filming throughout the pandemic in London.
Rob Marshall is directing “The Little Mermaid” with a script by Jane Goldman.
The original “Little Mermaid” film was released in 1989, based on the 1837 Danish fairytale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen. It was written and directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman. The voice cast includes Jodi Benson, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Pat Carroll, Samuel E. Wright, Kenneth Mars and Buddy Hackett.
It made $233 million globally and won two Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song for “Under the Sea.”