While it’s easy to get excited for a Disney’s live-action adaptation, the sad part is they tend to be a hit or miss. Just take Pinocchio for example, that was trash by everyone from critics to fans. However, this may not be the case for the upcoming live-action version of The Little Mermaid starring Halle Bailey as Princess Ariel and directed by Rob Marshall. With original music from Alan Menken and lyrics co-written by Lin-Manuel Miranda (who were inspired by Halle audition), this could be one of Disney’s biggest successes.
At this year’s D23 Expo, attendees were given sneak peek of the film, that includes the infamous Part of Your World. After Rob delivered a passionate speech about Halle and Melissa McCarthy, whose Ursula is “unlike anything she has done before.”
Then the entire Part of Your World sequence played, which featured some breathtaking underwater CGI and that matched the energy of the song and supported Halle’s intoxicating voice.
While the live-action is not a shot-for-shot remake of the original film, the sequences came rather close with Ariel swimming through seaweed to her secret cave (where she keeps her dinglehopper) and other prized collections from her trips to the surface of the water. Instead of her clamshell bra, she now sports scales with her hair worn in flowy twists. Like always, Flounder (Jacob Tremblay), who looks decidedly more like a real fish is by her side.
Ariel perches on a rock beside a chandelier, as she belts out in a heavenly voice that’s more soulful than Jodi Benson (we love Jodi Benson). This was in people in the crowd gasped with glee. The scene recreates some exact shots from the animated film, including one in which moonlight shines on Ariel’s face as she swims toward a hole in the cave. The footage ends after light falls on Ariel’s hands as she reaches out longing to be on the surface.
The film’s supporting cast includes Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, Jonah Hauer-King, and Javier Bardem. The script was written by Jane Goldman and David Magee. Miranda and Marshall produce with John DeLuca and Marc Platt.
The Little Mermaid will release in theaters on May 26, 2023.
