New Looks At Ariel, Eric, Triton & Ursula

A new crop of images from the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid have been released, providing new looks at Ariel, Eric, Triton, Ursula, and Queen Selina. Released in 1989, The Little Mermaid is now regarded as one of Disney’s finest animated movies, telling the tale of a mermaid who falls for a human prince and strikes a deal to become human for three days. The upcoming live-action remake is directed by Rob Marshall, with Halle Bailey taking on the role of Ariel, and supporting cast members including Melissa McCarthy, Jonah Hauer-King, and Javier Bardem.

Ahead of The Little Mermaid‘s release date next month, EW has shared a number of images from the upcoming Disney film, providing new looks at several key characters. The images include fresh looks at Ariel and Eric (Hauer-King) and the couples’ blossoming relationship, but also showcase McCarthy’s Ursula, Bardem’s Triton, and Noma Dumezweni’s Queen Selina. Check out the new images below:

What The New Little Mermaid Images Reveal About The Movie

While the latest images don’t feature any shocking reveals about The Little Mermaid, they do provide a better indication of what’s to come when the movie hits theaters next month. As has been the case with several previous Disney live-action remakes, like The Lion King, Aladdin, and Mulan, the original story in the animated film usually stays relatively intact. In fact, these remakes have often been criticized for not deviating enough from their source material to justify their existence at all.

Related: The Little Mermaid Remake Can Learn From Disney’s Mistakes (But Won’t)

The Little Mermaid remake has certainly been the subject of some criticism, namely due to its visuals, but Bailey has affirmed that at least one outdated aspect of the original story will be changed in the remake. While Ariel’s love for Eric is the main reason why she makes a deal with Ursula to become human in the animated original, Bailey states that 2023’s The Little Mermaid has been updated so that Ariel is not just motivated by her love for a boy. The images seemingly confirm, however, that the love story between Ariel and Eric will still be a key component of the story.

Aspects of the original film, including Ariel’s rescue of Eric after his ship is wrecked at sea and her taking him to shore will seemingly be preserved. The images also confirm that Bailey’s Ariel has also been styled after her animated counterpart, sporting the character’s classic blue dress while on land. Although The Little Mermaid is expected to update the classic tale in a number of crucial ways, the latest images affirm that there will also be plenty of familiar elements.

Source: EW