Following on from the success of live-action remakes of “Beauty and the Beast”, “The Lion King” and “Aladdin”, the next animated classic to get the live-action treatment is “The Little Mermaid”, which is the beloved story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. The youngest of King Triton’s daughters and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea and, while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart. She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land but ultimately places her life – and her father’s crown – in jeopardy.

The film stars singer and actress Halle Bailey (“grown-ish”) as Ariel; Jonah Hauer-King (“A Dog’s Way Home”) as Prince Eric; Tony Award winner Daveed Diggs (“Hamilton”) as the voice of Sebastian; Awkwafina (“Raya and the Last Dragon”) as the voice of Scuttle; Jacob Tremblay (“Luca”) as the voice of Flounder; Noma Dumezweni (“Mary Poppins Returns”) as Queen Selina; Art Malik (“Homeland”) as Sir Grimsby; with Oscar winner Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men”) as King Triton; and two-time Academy Award® nominee Melissa McCarthy (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?” “Bridesmaids”) as Ursula.

“The Little Mermaid” is directed by Oscar nominee Rob Marshall (“Chicago,” “Mary Poppins Returns”) with a screenplay by two-time Oscar nominee David Magee (“Life of Pi,” “Finding Neverland”). The songs feature music from multiple Academy Award winner Alan Menken (“Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin”) and lyrics by Howard Ashman, and new lyrics by three-time Tony Award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda. The film is produced by two-time Emmy winner Marc Platt (“Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert,” “Grease Live!”), Miranda, two-time Emmy winner John DeLuca (“Tony Bennett: An American Classic”), and Rob Marshall, with Jeffrey Silver (“The Lion King”) serving as executive producer.


When Is The 2023 Live-Action Version Of “The Little Mermaid” Released?

“The Little Mermaid,” visionary filmmaker Rob Marshall’s live-action reimagining of the studio’s Oscar-winning animated musical classic, opens exclusively in cinemas on Friday, 26th May 2023.


When Will “The Little Mermaid” Be On Disney+?

Disney has officially announced that “The Little Mermaid” will be coming to Disney+ on Wednesday 6th September 2023.

Back when Disney+ first launched, new films could take up to nine months to go from a theatrical release to the streaming service, after they had been in cinemas for months and released on digital and home video platforms. During the pandemic, Disney shifted its focus, speeding up how quickly films were released on Disney+, with films like “Encanto” and “Strange World” dropping onto the platform within a month of their initial release and the majority of new films like “Lightyear” and “Thor: Love & Thunder” arriving within 45 and 90 days of a theatrical release.  “The Little Mermaid” is going to take a little longer, its over 100 days from its theatrical release and its Disney+ release.

In 2023, Disney has been changed its focus back on making a profit over gaining more subscribers, which has resulted in films like “Avatar: The Way Of Water” and “Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania”, going through a traditional release window method that Disney used before the pandemic.  Meaning now, the films get a longer theatrical release window before being released on digital and physical home media like DVD first. Unfortunately, since Disney has changed its strategy, it’s going to be hard to predict exactly when new films arrive on Disney+.

 


Is “The Little Mermaid” Coming To Disney+ Premier Access?

Disney has confirmed that following the release of “Jungle Cruise”, it won’t be using Disney+ Premier Access, instead offering selected movies exclusively in cinemas first, before being released on Disney’s streaming services.


What Time Will “The Little Mermaid” Be Released On Disney+

Disney+ updates daily at the following times:

  • Pacific Time: 00:00 AM / Midnight
  • Eastern Time: 03:00 AM
  • UK: 08:00 AM
  • Sydney, Australia – 19:00 PM

Sometimes films can arrive a few minutes later as the servers update. The Disney+ front page usually updates about an hour later.


Are you looking forward to watching “The Little Mermaid”?

 

 

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Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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