Many movies and TV shows take their production right up to the wire, with some even completing after the initial release. Having already been heavily delayed from the Covid fallout, Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid will not be completed until the month before it receives its premiere. Director Rob Marshall recently spoke to Collider about the highly anticipated movie and confirmed that the film is currently on track to be completed by the end of March, not too far from its May 26 release date.
The Little Mermaid is expected to get its first full-length trailer at this year’s Super Bowl, which could finally reveal the first complete looks at Halle Bailey’s Ariel, Javier Bardem’s King Triton, and Melissa McCarthy’s Ursula. During his interview, Marshall was questioned about his next project after The Little Mermaid, and he responded that he couldn’t say until he was finished working on the Disney movie. He said:
"The Little Mermaid, that I'm just finishing up now, has taken four-and-a-half years. COVID just kind of, you know, came right in the middle. We were a week away from filming, and we shut down, and then we had to come back up again. It's the most challenging film I've ever done because of the visuals and how to create that. I mean, every moment of the entire film is choreographed because it had to be because there's no gravity. How do you do that? That was crazy. I mean, to figure out how we do that. So I have to say that I'm now actually looking forward to answering that question in the next few months when I finish up. This film will be finished probably at the end of March.”
Can Halle Bailey Bring The Little Mermaid to Life For a New Generation?
The casting of Halle Bailey in the role of Ariel was controversial at the time of its announcement, and while much of the noise has now died down, there has still been no clear footage of the actress released so far. However, with this weekend’s Super Bowl set to change that, more opinions will be shared online following the arrival of the first trailer. However, someone who believes that Bailey is the perfect choice to bring Ariel to life for a new generation is the movie’s co-songwriter, Lin-Manuel Miranda. Previously Miranda said on the subject of online backlash:
“I’m not interested in giving them any oxygen because I know the lives that are going to be changed. Halle is perfect for the part. She is going to blow them away. If that’s the thing that makes you mad, then stay mad. But examine your choices.”
Halle Bailey has since received a lot of support for her upcoming role, including from original Ariel voice star Jodi Benson, who complimented Bailey’s performance as “absolutely amazing” in a “stunning film.” With only a few months to go until fans get to make their judgment of Bailey’s performance in the movie itself, The Little Mermaid will soon be part of our world once again.