Fans of Disney’s The Little Mermaid have been waiting a long time for the live-action version to arrive… or even reveal more than the teeny teaser we got in September. A long time: Halle Bailey’s casting as Ariel was announced in July 2019. Finally, though, we’ve got a magical new look at Rob Marshall’s film.
Disney’s track record with live-action (or “live-action,” considering the intense levels of VFX involved) adaptations of its beloved animated classics has been hit or miss (Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and Lion King, yay; Pinocchio, yikes!), but The Little Mermaid looks like another potential win in the making. It boasts new songs by original composer Alan Menken and some guy named Lin-Manuel Miranda, and a cast that includes not just Bailey, but Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Javier Bardem as King Triton, and Melissa McCartney as Ursula — plus the voices of Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, and Awkwafina as Scuttle.
The Little Mermaid arrives in theatres May 26.
While you’re here, why not check out Gizmodo Australia’s guide to what’s streaming this month on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Stan, Binge and more. We’ve also got one for all the good movies coming out in 2023 if that’s more your thing.