Prepare to venture under the sea as The Little Mermaid finally has a confirmed Disney Plus release date. Viewers eager to watch (or rewatch) this latest live-action remake of an animated classic won’t have to wait long either.
Disney has confirmed that The Little Mermaid will begin streaming on Disney Plus starting Wednesday, September 6. And on the same day, a slew of bonus content will also hit the platform. These featurettes will allow viewers to delve deeper into the making of the film and include insight from the creative talent that helped bring the cartoon to life.
All the wonder, magic and FUN of Disney's #TheLittleMermaid is coming to #DisneyPlus on September 6! 🫧🦀🪸🐙🐠🐚 pic.twitter.com/G8ADLRVjnbAugust 7, 2023
Based on the 1989 animated film of the same, the 2023 version of The Little Mermaid was released in theaters back in May. And the new movie follows pretty much the same formula as other Disney live-action remakes such as Aladdin and The Lion King by paying tribute to the original while also expanding the scope with new story elements and a couple of new musical numbers. Plus, you can expect new reworkings of the movie’s most beloved tunes, in this case “Under the Sea” and “Part of Your World”.
Halle Bailey plays the titular underwater inhabitant here, with her take on Ariel being a well-concocted mix of bright-eyed, adventurous and headstrong with just a splash of naivety. Melissa McCarthy plays the villainous sea witch, Ursula, while Jonah Hauer-King plays the love interest, Prince Eric. The cast is rounded out by Javier Bardem as Ariel’s father, King Triton, and Noma Dumezweni as Queen Selina, a new character created for this movie.
Much like the cartoon original, this remake follows Ariel as she makes a deal with the evil Ursula in order to fulfill her wish to experience life above sea level. Now on dry land, she quickly falls in love with the dashing Prince Eric. But the deal comes with a heavy price, and Ariel’s decision puts not only her own life in danger but the entire underwater kingdom in jeopardy.
The Little Mermaid faced a mixed response when it was released in theaters earlier this year. It currently holds a lukewarm 64% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but its audience score is a much more impressive 94%. This would suggest that the general public enjoyed it significantly more than professional critics.However, with a global box office taking off around $556m against a budget estimated to be more than $250m (before marketing costs), this remake didn’t earn enough to be considered a financial smash by Disney as its breakeven point is believed to be around $500m.
Nevertheless, The Little Mermaid's arrival on Disney Plus will surely be well-received by the majority of subscribers, and we expect the movie will shoot up the platform's most-watched list when it debuts on the service next month. In the meantime, be sure to check out our list of the best new Disney Plus shows and movies in August for our top picks that can be watched while you wait for The Little Mermaid to swim on over to streaming.
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Rory Mellon
Entertainment Editor (UK)
Rory is an Entertainment Editor at Tom’s Guide based in the UK. He covers a wide range of topics but with a particular focus on gaming and streaming. When he’s not reviewing the latest games, searching for hidden gems on Netflix, or writing hot takes on new gaming hardware, TV shows and movies, he can be found attending music festivals and getting far too emotionally invested in his favorite football team.
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