During Sunday’s Academy Awards telecast, Disney released the full trailer for their live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. They even had stars Melissa McCarthy and Halle Bailey come out on stage and introduce the preview, making it part of the Oscar proceedings. The unusual move caused a slight controversy as it felt like the crass commercial synergy that Disney excels at. Especially since ABC, which airs the Oscars, is owned by the great mouse house.
Questionable corporate policies aside, this is our first in-depth look at the lavish, live-action version of the classic. While we had two previous teasers, this gives a fuller look at the style Disney will be going for. The Little Mermaid is one of the crown jewels of Disney’s storied animation legacy, kicking off the studio’s second animated renaissance in the 1990s. That decade produced Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Pocahontas, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. It also rewrote the rules of the fairytale princess genre that incorporated Broadway-style musical numbers courtesy of composer Alan Menken and lyricist Howard Ashman.
The live-action version will be directed by longtime Disney collaborator Rob Marshall who helmed the Oscar-winning Chicago. Marshall is one of the best-known film musical directors, with Into the Woods and Mary Poppins Returns under his belt. He even had a visually impressive mermaid sequence in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. In addition to Marshall, the movie boasts an impressive cast with Melissa McCarthy, Javier Bardem, Awkwafina, Daveed Diggs, and a radiant Halle Bailey as Ariel.
The two-minute trailer shows what looks to be a very faithful adaption, with shots and camera angles pulled directly from the animated classic. Many of the underwater sequences look impressive but highly stylized. Anyone expecting the pristine, tactile underwater photography shown in Avatar: The Way of Water should keep their expectations in check. We also get a glimpse of the musical numbers like “Kiss the Girl” and the Oscar-winning “Under the Sea,” along with Bailey’s impressive version of the movie’s signature tune, “Part of Your World.” And McCarthy looks ready to chew the scenery in her villainous turn as Ursula. It’s all beautifully lensed by director Marshall, giving the proceedings his usual razzle-dazzle.
I’ve never liked Disney mining their animated catalog for live-action adaptions. It seems that studio, aside from Pixar, is allergic to anything original or new. A few have been solid efforts, like Kenneth Branagh’s beautiful reworking of Cinderella or the gothic Maleficent, which tells the Sleeping Beauty myth from the villain’s POV. But most have been near shot-for-shot remakes like the clunky Beauty and the Beast or the truly terrible The Lion King. While we get a few tweaks and new songs, all these live-action versions feel like carbon copies of the more clever and inventive originals.
Sadly, from this trailer, there’s no hint of any major deviation from the source material. Apparently, there will be four new tunes from Lin-Manuel Miranda in addition to the classic Menken/Ashman score, so there may be some new twists and turns. The beautiful cinematography gives the film a handsome, lush look, with Italy standing in for Prince Eric’s kingdom. And Disney looks to have a star-making performance from Bailey, who radiates a sweet, angelic charisma as the title character.
The Little Mermaid opens in theatres on May 26th, 2023. Check out the trailer below and let me know your thoughts in the comments section.
I heard about this airing during the Oscars. Indeed, typical as-of-late Disney synergy. They have been actively watering-down their catalog for a few years now, and I have been resisting their attempts to print new money by their “re-imaging” of classics. I think I will easily avoid this one as well, and perhaps in honor of its release I’ll just go back and watch the original.😀
Hi Bruce, I agree that Disney is slowly diluting its historic catalog with all these uninspired remakes. I did enjoy “Cinderella,” directed by Kenneth Branagh, mainly because he ignored the cartoon and did his own version. That movie had an old-school MGM musical quality that was refreshing. And I did enjoy “Maleficent” with its darkly operatic visual look and Anjelina Jolie chewing the scenery. But everything else has been pretty bad and hokey. I was forced to take my nephew and niece to the new “Lion King” and was stunned that it was near shot by shot remake. As for “Little Mermaid,” I may check it out for director Rob Marshall and Halle Bailey, who looks like a great fit for Ariel.
I will NOT watch this version. Never, Ever, in a million years. I’m a purist at heart and remember fondly watching the original in theaters and being delighted.
I’m split on watching the new version. The animated original came out when I was in high school, and I remember being stunned by how great it was. And that soundtrack, everyone in my drama class was obsessed with those songs. I just wish Hollywood would get out of this recycling trend and start giving us new and original material again.