The Little Mermaid Has Made a Splash On Disney+

It was a long time coming, but the live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid finally hit cinemas in May, and audiences loved it. Between Halle Bailey’s iconic performance and the refresh of so many classic songs, this is one of the live-action Disney remakes to remember. If you missed it in cinemas, thankfully, your chance to stream The Little Mermaid has arrived.

When will The Little Mermaid 2023 be on Disney+?

As per tradition with many of Disney’s films, they eventually make their way to streaming on Disney+ post their theatrical release.

Disney dropped The Little Mermaid on Disney+ on September 6, 2023.

Disney also shared it would be dropping bonus content from the film on streaming, such as bonus songs, including one from Javier Bardem’s King Triton.

What’s the story of the live-action Little Mermaid film?

Much like other Disney live-action films that have come before it, The Little Mermaid 2023 is a modern retelling of the original animated film. The synopsis of the movie reads as follows:

A young mermaid makes a deal with a sea witch, to trade her beautiful voice for human legs so she can discover the world above water and impress a prince.

The premise of the story is the same as the original, but we can surely expect some slight changes in this adaptation.

Who played the Little Mermaid (Ariel) in 2023?

Let’s take a look at casting, shall we? The leading lady (or should we say mermaid) in the film is the phenomenally talented Halle Bailey (Ariel).

If you’re not familiar with her work, Bailey is one half of the musical duo Chloe x Halle – with her sister Chlöe – and since 2018, has garnered an impressive five Grammy nominations. Chloe x Halle are signed with Beyonce’s Parkwood Entertainment management company and are considered the artist’s young protégés.

In the acting world, she has appeared in titles like The Colour Purple, Grown-ish and Let it Shine.

In short, Halle Bailey is an artist with some incredible experience behind her.

Who makes up the rest of the cast?

That is not where the exciting cast announcements for The Little Mermaid 2023 end, either.

Jonah Hauer-King (Little Women TV series) plays Prince Eric, Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) takes the role of Ursula, Javier Bardem (Skyfall) is King Triton, Noma Dumezweni (The Watcher) plays Queen Selina, a new character for the film, Daveed Diggs (Hamilton) is the voice of Sebastian, Jacob Tremblay (Room) is the voice of Flounder, and Awkwafina (Crazy Rich Asians) takes on the voice of Scuttle.

While at the Sydney premiere of The Little Mermaid, both McCarthy and Bailey touched on the experience of taking on these iconic roles, with Bailey sharing she’s brought to tears almost every day seeing the impact her Ariel is having on young children, and McCarthy sharing that she has found an even deeper love for Ursula and all her complexities.

Grab a peek at some of the stars at the Sydney premiere event below:

Can I see a trailer?

Yes, dear child. You can watch the official trailer of The Little Mermaid 2023.

First, we got a teaser showcasing the beautiful underwater scenery on display in the film and our first look at Halle Bailey in the role of Ariel.

Then we got our first glimpse of Melissa McCarthy’s Ursula with a teaser clip titled ‘Wish’.

In March, we got our first official trailer for the film. This one shows our first look at Daddy Mermaid, King Triton (Javier Bardem).

We also see glimpses of 2023 Flounder, Sebastian and Scuttle, who all look… mildly horrifying.

Disney also released a featurette on the production titled A World Reimagined, which offers insight into the making of this modern take on the classic animated film.

And finally, you can also take a peek at the new version of the classic Little Mermaid track ‘Kiss the Girl’ with this clip. What do you think?

This follows the release of ‘Part of Your World’ by Halle, which you can listen to here.

Is it worth my time?

You’ll be happy to know The Little Mermaid made quite the splash with reviewers. Currently, it’s sitting at 67 per cent on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer, with the audience score coming in at 94 per cent. The general consensus is that this is one of the strongest live-action films Disney has produced.

Kaely Monahan of the Arizona Republic wrote that “The Little Mermaid, Disney’s latest live-action remake, is surprisingly good. In fact, it is the best one yet.”

Brian Lowry of CNN shared that “Thanks largely to star Halle Bailey, the lavish musical holds up nicely under the weight of those expectations, preserving the original’s essence while updating undernourished aspects of it and riding a warm, hard-to-resist wave of nostalgia.”

Some weren’t sold completely, however. Lindsey Bahr of the Associated Press wrote, “For all its pizazz, everything about this Little Mermaid is just more muted. Miranda’s new songs are odd, too, and don’t seem to fit.”

But for the most part, people are having a good time. So, go and see for yourself!

This article has been updated since its original publication date.

Lead image credit: The Little Mermaid Disney+