Hold on to your dinglehoppers! Rob Marshall’s sparkling new live action The Little Mermaid that’s full of magic, passion and love starring Halle Bailey arrives on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on September 19th. Fans can add the film to their collection and access exclusive bonus features including a sing-along version of the film, song breakdowns, bloopers, and exclusive featurettes.
Relive the magic of one of Disney’s most beloved films that captured the heart and soul of the original while breaking new waves and creating a star out of Halle Bailey as The Little Mermaid becomes available to audiences to enjoy at home.
The Little Mermaid is visionary filmmaker Rob Marshall’s live-action reimagining of Disney’s beloved animated musical classic, the 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.
In our interview with Halle Bailey, she fondly recalled the importance the movie had on her childhood. “I remember watching the movie on repeat and pretending that I was Ariel, swimming in the water and singing the songs, but never in a million years did I think I would ever be able to play her,” says Bailey. “There’s something so special about being a mermaid because it’s a mix between this mythical, beautiful creature and your authentic self, and I think that’s why so many young children respond to the character. Because it’s like, yes, I can be this sort of magical being by just being who I am, and I am special the way that I am. That’s why it really resonated with me.”
In describing the character, Bailey says, “Ariel is passionate, she has so much wisdom, and is wise beyond her years. She knows what she wants, and she doesn’t back down. I feel like our stories are very parallel to one another. We are both on similar journeys, and I’m just so inspired by her. She inspires me to speak up.”
“I tell people all the time, I feel like Ariel truly has helped me find myself and like this young woman’s version of me because it’s been five years of my life now. From 18 years old to now being 23, so those are very intense transformative years as you’re developing as a young woman. I especially feel these themes of the film and what she had to go through with her passions and drive and speaking up for herself, and even though it may be scary, she went for it. I feel like those things I really try to adopt and give to Halle now. She’s taught me so much.”
Joining Halle Bailey as Ariel are, Jonah Hauer-King as Eric, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Noma Dumezweni as The Queen, Art Malik as Sir Grimsby, Daveed Digs as Sebastian (voice), Jacob Tremblay as Flounder (voice) and Awkwafina as Scuttle (voice).
BONUS FEATURES*
Sing Along Version – Sing along with your favorite songs while watching the movie with on-screen lyrics.
Hotter Under The Water – Discover how director Rob Marshall and his team brought the story of The Little Mermaid to life with this documentary in five chapters:
- A Tale Of The Bottomless Blue – Join Rob Marshall on the set of one of the most ambitious and challenging films he’s ever directed.
- I Know Something’s Starting Right Now – Join cast members Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, Jonah Hauer-King and more and learn how they were cast in the film and what it was like to bring director Rob Marshall’s vision to life.
- Down Where It’s Wetter – Dip your toes into the virtual ocean and learn about how the breathtaking underwater world was created with visual effects, imagination and a lot of talented artists.
- Explore That Shore Up Above – From Prince Eric’s castle to the beach, explore the above-the-sea locations and the elaborate production design behind them.
- Do What The Music Say – Discover how legendary composer Alan Menken teamed up with Lin-Manuel Miranda to write new songs to accompany the original classics.
Song Breakdowns
- Wild Unchartered Waters – Prince Eric, played by Jonah Hauer-King, gets his own song, written by Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Go behind the song, from the writing to the recording, to the filming on a practical ship.
- Under the Sea – Get a first-hand look at how professional dancers helped bring director Rob Marshall’s vision to life as they stood in for the various animated sea creatures that sing and dance in this showstopping number.
- Kiss The Girl – Float along and get a frog’s-eye view of the beautiful set built to film the live-action version of this classic song.
- Poor Unfortunate Souls – Join Melissa McCarthy (Ursula) as she takes us on the journey of making her character’s signature song.
Featurettes
- The Scuttlebutt On Sidekicks – Dive in and meet Sebastian, Flounder and Scuttle, who not only have their own song, “The Scuttlebutt,” but also fresh looks as they work hard to make sure Ariel and Eric kiss before Ursula’s deadline.
- Passing The Dinglehopper – Ariel met Ariel when Halle Bailey worked with Jodi Benson — the voice of Ariel in the original animated movie — who appears in a clever cameo in the live-action film.
- Bloopers – Laugh along with the cast as they have the time of their lives making The Little Mermaid.
*Bonus features vary by product and retailer.
SPECS
Run Time: Approx. 135 minutes
Rating: PG for action/peril and some scary images.
4K Ultra HD:
- Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 ⏐ Audio: English Dolby Atmos, Spanish 7.1 Dolby Digital Plus, French 7.1 Dolby Digital Plus, English AD 2.0 Dolby Digital
Blu-ray™
- Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 ⏐ Audio: English 7.1 DTS-HDMA, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, English AD 2.0 Dolby Digital
DVD:
- Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 ⏐ Audio: English 5.1 Dolby, Spanish 5.1 Dolby, French 5.1, English AD 2.0 Dolby
