The Little Mermaid (2023 film)

The Little Mermaid (2023 film) is an American musical fantasy film directed by Rob Marshall from a screenplay written by David Magee and Jane Goldman. It is a live-action adaptation of Disney's 1989 animated film of the same name, which in turn is loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 fairy tale.

The film stars Halle Bailey as Ariel, alongside Jonah Hauer-King, Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, Noma Dumezweni, Art Malik, Javier Bardem, and Melissa McCarthy. The plot follows Ariel, a young mermaid princess who dreams of becoming human and falls in love with Prince Eric, leading her to make a deal with the sea witch Ursula to trade her voice for human legs.

The Little Mermaid (2023 film) features songs written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman from the original animated film, with new lyrics written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The score is composed by Alan Menken.

The film was produced by Walt Disney Pictures, Marc Platt Productions, and Lucamar Productions, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It was released in theaters in the United States on May 26, 2023. The film generated significant discussion and debate prior to release, particularly regarding the casting of Halle Bailey as Ariel. It received mixed to positive reviews from critics, with praise for Bailey's performance and the visual effects, but criticism for the screenplay and pacing.