Disney’s long-awaited live-action adaptation of “The Little Mermaid” is set to release on May 26, bringing to life the beloved animated classic that kickstarted the second golden age of Disney animation. The story is a loose adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale and was conceptualized by veteran Disney animators John Musker and Ron Clements, who convinced then-studio chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg to invest in a 20-page treatment back in 1985.
Two years later, Howard Ashman, a prominent songwriter who had worked on the “Little Shop of Horrors” stage production, joined the team to help with the adaptation. Jodi Benson, then working alongside Ashman in the ill-fated Broadway musical “Smile,” recalls that the renowned songwriter approached the project like a Broadway musical, bringing a fresh perspective and rich musicality to the story.
Benson recounts that when the show she was acting in closed soon after Disney executives saw it, Ashman extended an invitation to audition for the role of Ariel to a few hand-selected aspiring actresses, including Benson, calling it “something to do on the way to the unemployment office.” Months went by, and Benson received a call that she had landed the coveted role of Ariel, which would propel her to international stardom.
Ashman brought in Alan Menken, a frequent collaborator, to compose the project’s melodies, and the two set up to work on reconfiguring a character, initially an English butler named Clarence, into the universally adored Caribbean crustacean named Sebastian. The role went to another Broadway veteran, Samuel E. Wright, who would go on to star alongside Benson in Cy Coleman’s musical, “Welcome to the Club”.
In a surprising move, Katzenberg was considering cutting out Ariel’s signature song, “Part of Your World” while editing the film, deeming his experience of the sequence to be dull. However, both Ashman and Ariel’s animator, Glen Keane, strongly advocated for the song to stay, leading to a crucial decision that would cement the song’s place in the theatrical canon. The reworked song became a standard and continues to be a beloved anthem to millions of fans worldwide.
“The Little Mermaid” proved to be the critical and financial success that Disney needed at the time. Given that it grossed $225 million worldwide (equivalent to $550 million today), it set the new standard for animated classics and launched a string of successful films that became classics in their own right, such as “Beauty and the Beast” (1991) and “Aladdin” (1992).
This new adaptation of “The Little Mermaid” aims to capture the same magic of the beloved animated classic, with Halle Bailey playing the role of Ariel, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, and Melissa McCarthy as the villainous Ursula. The film is helmed by Rob Marshall, director of “Chicago” and “Mary Poppins Returns,” and features a soundtrack with brand new renditions of the classic songs that have charmed audiences for over 30 years.
In conclusion, the 1989 animated version of “The Little Mermaid” was a landmark moment for Disney animation, and the upcoming live-action adaptation is poised to be the culmination of years of planning and anticipation from fans worldwide. As audiences eagerly anticipate the remake, the timeless story of Ariel and her journey to find her place in the world is sure to continue enchanting generations to come.
