Disney's live-action reimagining of The Little Mermaid brought Ariel's story to theaters in 2023, mixing beloved songs from the 1989 animated classic with new material and a fresh cast.
Here's a fact-checked rundown of who's in it, what changed, and what to know before diving in.
The 2023 live-action The Little Mermaid was directed by Rob Marshall, who also directed the musicals Chicago, Into the Woods, and Mary Poppins Returns.
Halle Bailey stars as Ariel. She rose to fame as one half of the R&B duo Chloe x Halle, who were discovered by Beyoncé on YouTube, and she also starred in the TV series Grown-ish.
Jonah Hauer-King plays Prince Eric. The British actor previously appeared in A Dog's Way Home, Little Women (2017), and the TV series World on Fire.
Melissa McCarthy plays Ursula the sea witch. McCarthy earned an Academy Award nomination for Bridesmaids and has also starred in Spy and Ghostbusters (2016).
Javier Bardem plays King Triton, Ariel's father. Bardem won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for No Country for Old Men.
Daveed Diggs voices Sebastian the crab. Diggs won a Tony Award for originating the roles of Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in Hamilton.
Jacob Tremblay voices Flounder, Ariel's fish friend. Tremblay is known for his roles in Room, Wonder, and Good Boys.
Awkwafina voices Scuttle the seagull. She previously starred in Crazy Rich Asians, The Farewell, and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
The story follows the original 1989 animated film and Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale: Ariel trades her voice to the sea witch Ursula for a chance at human legs and Prince Eric's love.
Alan Menken, who composed the original score, returned to write new songs for the remake alongside lyricist and producer Lin-Manuel Miranda.
The film includes the original songs 'Part of Your World,' 'Under the Sea,' 'Poor Unfortunate Souls,' and 'Kiss the Girl,' composed by Alan Menken with lyrics by Howard Ashman.
The Little Mermaid was released in theaters on May 26, 2023.
Filming was originally set to begin in 2020 but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic; production ultimately took place in 2021 at Pinewood Studios in London, with additional location filming in Sardinia, Italy.
The first teaser trailer premiered at Disney's D23 Expo on September 9, 2022, not during a Super Bowl broadcast as sometimes reported.
A full-length trailer debuted during the Oscars broadcast on March 12, 2023.
The film grossed roughly $569 million at the worldwide box office, making it one of the more successful live-action Disney remakes of the era.
Casting Halle Bailey, a Black actress, as Ariel drew both praise and backlash online, though she received public support from Jodi Benson (the original animated Ariel), director Rob Marshall, and composer Alan Menken.
David Magee wrote the screenplay, based on a story credited to Magee, Rob Marshall, and producer John DeLuca.
The remake added new backstory material for Ursula and expanded roles for King Triton and Ariel's sisters compared with the 1989 original.
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