The Little Mermaid 2023: release date of Disney live action remake in cinemas, cast with Halle Bailey as Ariel

The Little Mermaid is Disney's latest live action remake - the original animated classic was released way back in 1989. The new film, starring Halle Bailey as the loved-up mermaid Ariel who trades her voice for legs.

Several trailers for the movie have been released, with the teaser receiving several million dislikes on YouTube as some of the chronically online community were upset at the casting of a Black woman as a mermaid.

The film follows previous Disney remakes including Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Mulan, and is expected to perform well at the box office. The Hollywood Handle tweeted that the film is expected to gross $115 million domestically on its opening weekend.

Aladdin star Mena Massoud tweeted his low expectations for the remake, before being railed against by Disney fans and deleting his Twitter account. How well the film will do at the box office, and if it can break the billion dollar barrier remains to be seen - this is everything we know about The Little Mermaid so far:

What is The Little Mermaid about?

The film follows Ariel, a mermaid and daughter of King Triton, who makes a deal with a sea witch to become human and walk on the surface in exchange for her voice.

Ariel hopes to impress Prince Eric, who she fell in love with after saving him from a shipwreck.

Over the course of Ariel’s odyssey, she is brought into conflict with her father and realises that the witches deal was a cruel trick which could doom her.

As Ariel tries to overcome her lack of voice and communicate with her prince, she is helped on her adventure by friends Sebastian the crab and tropical fish Flounder.

Who is in the cast of The Little Mermaid?

Halle Bailey stars in the lead role as Ariel, the mermaid who rushes into a perilous bargain in order to be given legs.

Bailey is a 22 year old actor known for playing Sky Forster alongside her older sister Chloe in the comedy drama series Grown-ish. She is also due to star in the upcoming drama films The Color Purple, and The Line.

Other confirmed cast include:

• Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric
• Melissa McCarthy as Ursula
• Javier Bardem as King Triton
• Jude Akuwudike as Grimsby
• Noma Dumezweni as Queen Selina
• Kajsa Mohammar as Karina
• Lorena Andrea as Perla
• Daveed Diggs as Sebastian
• Jacob Tremblay as Flounder
• Awkwafina as Scuttle
• Jessica Alexander as Vanessa
• Emily Coates as Rosa

Is there a trailer?

Yes there is, and you can watch it right here:

When is the release date of The Little Mermaid?

The Little Mermaid is currently slated for a cinematic release in the UK on 26 May 2023. The film will come to streaming service Disney Plus after its cinematic run is up. Disney normally gives its films a 45 day cinematic run before adding them to the streaming platform.

This means that The Little Mermaid should land on Disney Plus around Monday 10 July 2023. The original animated films The Little Mermaid, The Little Mermaid II, and Ariel’s Beginning, as well as the animated series are all available to watch on Disney Plus now.