The Little Mermaid (2023)
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A mermaid princess makes a deal with a sea witch to gain legs and explore the human world.
The story
Under the Caribbean Sea, in the kingdom of Atlantica, the mermaid princess Ariel is fascinated with the human world and collects human artifacts in her grotto despite her father, King Triton, forbidding all merfolk from surfacing. After Ariel witnesses a ship's destruction and rescues Prince Eric, she finds herself yearning for a life beyond the waves. To achieve her goal, she enters into a dangerous pact with the sea witch Ursula, who offers to transform her into a human for three days in exchange for her voice. Ariel must then navigate the complexities of the human world while trying to find a way to remain on land permanently before the magic expires.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Ariel, a mermaid princess in the kingdom of Atlantica, is fascinated by the human world and collects artifacts in a secret grotto. Her father, King Triton, forbids her from going to the surface. After Ariel saves Prince Eric from a shipwreck and takes him to shore, she strikes a deal with the sea witch Ursula: Ursula gives Ariel human legs for three days in exchange for her voice. If Ariel can earn 'true love's kiss' from Eric, she can stay human; otherwise, she becomes Ursula's slave. In the human world, Ariel is taken to Eric's castle. Meanwhile, Triton's sister Ursula uses a human disguise to manipulate the situation. After a series of complications where Ariel is tricked into believing the woman is the one who saved Eric, she eventually confronts Ursula and regains her voice. However, the sun sets before she can kiss Eric, and she reverts to a mermaid. A final battle ensues where Triton sacrifices himself to save Ariel from Ursula. After the defeat of the sea witch, Triton transforms Ariel into a human permanently, allowing her to reunite with Eric and live among the people.
- First release year
- 2023
- Runtime (minutes)
- 135
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Rob Marshall
- Writers
- David Magee · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Halle Bailey · Ariel; Jonah Hauer-King · Eric; Melissa McCarthy · Ursula; Javier Bardem · King Triton; Daveed Diggs · Sebastian; Awkwafina · Scuttle; Jacob Tremblay · Flounder; Noma Dumezweni · Queen Selina
- Genres
- musical; fantasy; romance
- Themes
- identity; freedom; curiosity
- Tone and mood
- fantasy; musical
- Premise and plot tags
- mermaid; fantasy; musical; romance
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1837 fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen
- Franchise connections
- The Little Mermaid
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics but was well-received by audiences, and it was a significant commercial success, grossing over $569 million worldwide.
- Reported review scores
- CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A+ to F; PostTrak · score: 91% · scale: percent
- Production trivia
- The film was produced on a budget of $240.2 million.; The film was the most-streamed live-action Disney film premiere on Disney+ during its debut week.; The film's production was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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