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The Little Mermaidcast include rising stars along with acclaimed act as veterans , who lend back Ariel ’s story in the hot - action format . Directly inspire by the 1989 Disney animate classic ( which , in round , was adapted from Hans Christian Andersen ’s original horrifying fairy tale of the same name),The Little Mermaid ’s deal with the titular protagonist , Ariel , who seeks to explore the world beyond the seas . However , when Ariel strikes a deceitful deal with the ocean enchantress Ursula , she get to assemble a human prince but at a heavy cost . What surveil is the mermaid ’s journey in becoming human even as her time to come remains incertain .
First announced in 2016,The picayune Mermaidwas a part of many other live - action mechanism remakes of Disney classics such asCinderella , Aladdin , The Jungle BookandThe Lion King . Helmed by musical stager Rob Marshall ( Chicago , Into The Woods , Mary Poppins Returns ) , the adaptation also retains many of the original ’s classic songs , with composer Alan Menken returning . Menken also went on to co - write a few new track with Hamilton creator and frequent Disney pardner Lin - Manuel Miranda . When it comes to the characters , The Little Mermaidoffers an ethnically - diverse mix of both live - action stars and voice actors for many of the motion picture ’s ocean creatures . Here isThe fiddling Mermaidcast .
Halle Bailey As Ariel
Ariel is a mermaid princess who crave to explore the outside macrocosm . The youngest daughter of King Triton , she spends her Day singing in the deepness of the ocean and befriending many marine animals . However , her taste sensation for risky venture and eventual love for a human being leads her to strike a mortal deal with Ursula . When it was announced in 2019 that Halle Bailey would leadThe trivial Mermaidcast as Ariel , the actor received a caboodle of racialist backlashwith some audience calling her molding as canonically inaccurate . celebrity like Lin - Manuel Miranda andWest Side Storystar Rachel Zelger have however constantly come to Bailey ’s musical accompaniment .
deal the racism and on-line troll she faced , Bailey even toldThe Face , " People do n’t understand that when you ’re Black there ’s this whole other community … It ’s so authoritative for us to see ourselves . " The actor is otherwise best known for her music life history as one - half of the Grammy - nominate R&B duo Chloe x Halle . Bailey already made her take on the musical heroine more iconic while perform the original ’s acclaimed song “ Part of Your World ” . She has also proved her dramatic artistry as Jazlyn " Jazz " Foster , a main character in theBlack - ishspin - offGrown - ish . Bailey also landed the role of " Young Nettie " for the 2023 remaking ofThe Color Purple .
There are a few key differences betweenThe Little Mermaidcast actor Halle Bailey ’s Ariel and her revivify counterpart . First , Ariel has been age up for the live - action movie , in the first place being 16 and now being 18 . She ’s also been given more agency in smaller ways throughout the photographic film , such as her revealing her name to Eric vs Sebastian doing it . Halle Bailey ’s Ariel also gets a unexampled birdsong in the movie , " For the First Time , " which acts as her internal monologue when she ’s on state as a human for the first prison term . She also vote down Ursula , rather of Eric , and the film does n’t see Ariel and Eric ’s marriage .
Jonah Hauer-King As Eric
Eric is a human prince whom Ariel encounters first when she saves him from drowning . Since then , she falls in passion with him , and he becomes a major reason for her to step into the public above pee . Eric is play by Jonah Hauer - King inThe Little Mermaidcast , who previously play Lucas Ray , the human supporter and owner of the titular dog in 2019’sA Dog ’s Way Home . TheLittle Mermaidcast extremity debut with 2017’sThe Last Photographin which he play managing director and lead actor Danny Huston ’s on - screen son Luke . Hauer - King has also had major roles in miniseries likeHoward ’s ending , Little Women , andWorld On Fire .
Just as Ariel ofThe Little Mermaidcast is give more agency , Prince Eric is actually given a purposein the movie other than just being a classical Disney prince . The live - action interlingual rendition relays his backstory , that he was in a shipwreck and was adopted by Queen Seline after being washed ashore . He yearns for adventure on the open sea , despite his mother ’s qualm , and want to open patronage with other lands to attend his kingdom . Eric also gets his own Song dynasty in the alive - action remake , " Wild Uncharted amniotic fluid . " In addition , he and Vanessa do n’t get their wedding ceremony disrupt , but there are hijinks at their engagement party .
Melissa McCarthy As Ursula
A devious ocean witch banished from the realm of Atlantica , Ursula has become one of the most iconic villains in the Disney pantheon . Ursula strikes a Faustian steal with the mermaid to turn her into a human . The adversary , whose appearing was heavily exalt by actor and drag queen Divine , is portrayed byMelissa McCarthy who is known for several comedic theatrical role , such as her Oscar - nominated performance as Megan in 2011’sBridesmaidsand the CIA analyst - turned - agent Susan in 2015’sSpy . remote ofThe Little Mermaidcast , she also showcases her dramatic accomplishment as is evident from her depiction of literary forger Lee Israel in 2018’sCan You Ever Forgive Me .
A lot of changes were made to Ursula inThe Little Mermaidcast , and she was given a proper backstory . Ursula is technically Ariel ’s aunt and King Triton ’s sister in the live - action version , who was banished from Atlantica 15 yr prior . Ursula ’s deal with Ariel curb a unexampled spell : Ursula makes Ariel forget that she has to snog Eric before turning into a mermaid again . Her main act " wretched Unfortunate Souls " gets a lyric change . Otherwise , nearly everything plays out the same for the iconic Disney scoundrel , hold open for the fact that Ariel kills her in the end , not Eric .
Daveed Diggs As Sebastian
While Lin - Manuel Miranda serves as songster , hisHamiltonco - star Daveed Diggs joinsThe Little Mermaidcast , voicing the crab Sebastian . A loyal handmaid of King Triton ’s , Sebastian maintain a watchful eye on Ariel . Diggs has had meaning experience in animate roles like Sebastian as he had antecedently voiced the hedgehog Dos in 2017’sFerdinandand the superhero Cyborg in 2022’sDC ’s League of Super Pets . melodic theatre of operations aficionados evidently remember Diggs for originating the dual roles of Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in Miranda ’s Broadway hitHamilton . Diggs is also popular for spell and star as former felon Colin Hoskins in the buddy comedy - dramaBlindspotting .
Sebastian and his alive - action twin share more similarity than differences , though it ’s debatable that the animate pubic louse gets more comedic moments in the original . Nonetheless , Diggs get to use his outspoken talent more than original vocalisation actor Samuel E. Wright did , as he and Scuttle get a rap duet in the Sung dynasty " Scuttlebutt , " which sees him and the bird trying to visualise out who Prince Eric is going to marry . The alive - action Sebastian does n’t have a run - in with a seafood - loving chef , and his vocal " snog the Girl " acquire a lyric change to make it a fiddling more with the time .
Awkwafina As Scuttle
Rapper and actor Awkwafina voice a northern gannet called Scuttle , who imply no harm to Ariel but ends up giving her the most inaccurate depictions of the human human race to the mermaid . Awkwafina ofThe Little Mermaidcast has previously pocket a Golden Globe nominating speech for playing Billi Wang in the Chinese - American comedyThe Farewelland also made her MCU unveiling play Katy in 2021’sShang - Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings . TheCrazy Rich Asiansstar also wreak a fictionalize edition of herself in the comedy seriesAwkwafina IsNora from Queens .
opening was primitively a seagull inThe petty Mermaidanimated flick , but the lineament was changed into a diving bird to sport more underwater conversations between Scuttle and Ariel . Outside of this modification , there ’s also a grammatical gender swap , as the original Scuttle was voiced by the legendary Buddy Hackett . Awkwafina gets to exhibit her rap skills in the Modern birdcall " Scuttlebutt " alongside Daveed Diggs ' Sebastian . Ultimately , however , hatchway ofThe Little Mermaidcast stays pretty much the same between both moving-picture show , save for Awkwafina and Buddy Hackett having completely unlike acting style .
Jacob Tremblay As Flounder
Ariel ’s unspoiled friend is the tropic fish Flounder . He ’s often anxious on the surface but is ultimately noble and fast in his friendship with Ariel . The fish ’s youthful nature is brought out by Jacob Tremblay . The actor first discontinue out as a small fry lead with his emotional performance as Jack Newsome in 2015’sRoom . JoiningThe Little Mermaidcast as Flounder is n’t Tremblay ’s only Disney vox - acting credit as he also voiced the titular admirer in the 2021 come - of - historic period fantasyLuca . Interestingly , the assumption of Luca is very like toThe Little Mermaidas Tremblay ’s character is a sea monster who get on a human form to search the world above .
Out of all the springy - action makeovers thatThe Little Mermaidcast cause , it was the most surprising that audiences were n’t ab initio pleased with Flounder ’s feel . Voice doer Jacob Tremblay defended the esthetic pick for Ariel ’s brute sidekick , saying ( viaVariety)“I thought it look great , because that ’s kind of like the creature that they had on lot . And , then of grade , I watch it last night , and I just consider it all shape so well . “In terms of differences between Flounder ’s personation and role , they have far more similarity . He remain Ariel ’s young , naive , and fast friend throughout the film .
Noma Dumezweni As Queen Selina
The Little Mermaidcast does include some newfangled case , such as Queen Selina , who was absent in the revive original . Selina is Prince Eric ’s adopted female parent . The nance guides Eric much like how King Triton treats Ariel , wary of his thirst for adventure and the unknown . She is played by Noma Dumezweni , a Tony nominee and an realized dramaturgy doer who is well known for portray Hermione Granger in the original run ofHarry Potter and the Cursed Child . Dumezweni also come out in 2018’sMary Poppins Returnsas Miss Penny Farthing and Theodora Birch in 2022’sThe Watcher .
Javier Bardem As King Triton
King Triton is Ariel ’s overprotective father and the rule of Atlantica inThe Little Mermaidcast . Sharing an vivid despite towards humans , Triton attempt his upright to protect his kingdom and to shelter his own girl from the world beyond his reign . Javier Bardem breathes new aliveness into the type , continuing his segue into house - friendly films such as 2022’sLyle Lyle , Crocodile , where he played Hector P Valenti , a singing crocodile ’s magnetic flight simulator . Bardem is mostly known for play the mephistophelian floater Anton Chirugh in2007’sNo Country For Old Menfor which he won an Oscar . He also work the sinister Bond villain Raoul Silva in 2012’sSkyfall .
InThe Little Mermaidremake , more insight is fall in into King Triton ’s character than in the original . Triton fears Ariel dealing with humans because his wife and Queen was defeat by a human . Therefore , he bars all merpeople , not just Ariel , from going to the surface . In addition , the tension of Ursula and Triton ’s relationship are made more complex in the remake , as Ursula is Triton ’s estranged younger baby that he banish from Atlantica . The film ’s climax plays out more or less the same . However , Ariel actually returns to the sea as a mermaid in the goal and is only turned for good human when Triton realizes how piteous she is without Eric .
The Little Mermaid Supporting Cast & Characters
Art Malik as Sir Grimsby : Prime Minister , Sir Grimsby , is play by British doer Art Malik who antecedently appear inTrue Lies , The Living Daylightsand films like 1984’sAPassage to Indiaand 1992’sCity of Joy . Grimsby essentially acts as a contact between Prince Eric and Queen Seline , and is a founder image to Eric .
Lorena Andrea as Perla : TheLittle Mermaidcast includes many more of Triton ’s daughters and Ariel ’s baby such as Perla who is played by Lorena Andrea . She is popularly eff for playing Sister Lilith in Netflix’sWarrior Nun .
Simone Ashley as Indira : One of Ariel ’s sisters includes Indira , who is played by Simone Ashley . The British doer is a Netflix regular , having playedKathani “ Kate ” Sharma inBridgertonand Olivia Hanan inSex Education .
Kajsa Mohammar as Karina : The mermaid Karina is played by Kajsa Mohammar , the Swedish histrion who antecedently come out inViking Destiny(also known asOf Gods and Warriors ) as Tait and Will Ferell ’s 2020 film , Eurovision : Song Contestas Lisa .
Nathalie Sorrell as Caspia : Yet another one of Triton ’s seven daughters , Caspia is played by Nathalie Sorrell , whose other cultivate includeHotel Very Welcome .
Karolina Conchet as Mala : Mala , one of the several mermaids in the film , is depict by Karolina Conchet , whose previous screenland credits include a few short pants and the 2014 Gallic comedyValentin Valentin .
Sienna King as Tamika : Sienna King plays the mermaid Tamika . The actor has previously appeared in a shortsighted film calledUtopic Dystopiaand being a part ofThe Little Mermaidcast will be her first major screen credit .
Jessica Alexander as Vanessa : Ursula in brief turns into a beautiful woman called Vanessa to sabotage Ariel and Eric ’s romance . This human interpretation of Ursula is portrayed by Jessica Alexander . The actor mostly gain prominence after playing Olivia Hayes in the Netflix teen thriller seriesGet Even . However , this Vanessa does n’t get to wear a wedding party apparel , as Ariel and co. only hold back their engagement party .
Emily Coates as Rosa : TheLittle Mermaidcast includes some new characters such as Rosa , a young maid in Eric ’s castle . She is played by Emily Coates who has previously seem in the Netflix fantasy seriesCursed .
John Dagleish as Mulligan : Another one of the raw characters include Mulligan , one of Eric ’s shipmates , who is play by John Dagleish , a British theater actor also known for role inMary Poppins Returns , Christopher RobinandJudy .
Jude Akuwudike as Joshua : Cast in the use of Joshua , a fisherman who finds Ariel in her human shape , is Jude Akuwudike , who is best experience for playing Charlie Carter inGangs of Londonand Dr. Adebimpe inFortitude .
Martina Laird as Lashana : Lashana is a new case for the movie , one of Prince Eric ’s maidservant , with Martina Laird joiningTheLittle Mermaidcast . The actor , director , and acting instructor has move in leading yield of several Shakespeare plays and also gained prominence for the main role of Comfort in the BBC medical play seriesCasualty .
