'The Little Mermaid' remake hits theaters May 24

The new live-action remake of the 1989 animation "The Little Mermaid," will finally hit theaters on May 24, three years after Disney first announced the project featuring singer-songwriter Halle Bailey as mermaid Ariel. Casting for the remake has...

Actor Halle Bailey as Ariel in the live-action adaptation remake of ″The Little Mermaid″ [WALT DISNEY COMPANY KOREA]

The new live-action remake of the 1989 animation "The Little Mermaid," will finally hit theaters on May 24, three years after Disney first announced the project featuring singer-songwriter Halle Bailey as mermaid Ariel.

Casting for the remake has been met with both applause and criticism.

There has only been one other Black Disney character, 2009's Tatiana in "The Princess and the Frog," so adding another black character to Disney's repertoire has received widespread support.

Main poster for ″The Little Mermaid″ [WALT DISNEY COMPANY KOREA]

On the other hand, pundits have criticized the decision as catering too much to the growing weight put on political correctness in tandem with the Black Lives Matter movement.

Bailey’s self-assured and strong voice is enough to blow any concerns away. Her acting is also heartfelt with scenes showing, despite "The Little Mermaid" being her first foray into acting, she can deliver a sincere performance.

Actors Jonah Hauer-King and Halle Bailey as Prince Eric and Ariel in the live-action adaptation remake of ″The Little Mermaid″ [WALT DISNEY COMPANY KOREA]

Judging by the pre-released clips and trailer, the film's lighting seemed too dark, especially during the underwater scenes, which made it challenging to recognize the images at times. Also, perhaps due to the overall dark lighting in the film, the original animation of the fish characters differ in the 2023 adaptation - now appearing less friendly and a little more grotesque.

While the opposition has already commented that nothing should be altered, new songs have been added in this remake.

Actor Halle Bailey as Ariel in the live-action adaptation remake of ″The Little Mermaid″ [WALT DISNEY COMPANY KOREA]

Renditions of the classic songs from the original animation such as “Part of Your World,” “Under the Sea” and “Kiss the Girl” are accompanied by new compositions from producer Lin-Manuel Miranda, who is renowned for creating the Broadway musicals “In the Heights” (2005), “Hamilton” (2015) and composing the soundtracks for animation films such as “Moana.” Miranda’s re-writes of the classics and his new compositions including “Wild Uncharted Waters” and “For the First Time” add a modern spin to the atmosphere of the overall film.

While many past Disney live-action remakes unfortunately became commercial failures, “Dumbo,” (2019), “The Lion King” (2019), “Mulan” (2020), there is hope that "The Little Mermaid" will skirt this list with a voice like Bailey's giving life to this well-known classic.

Actor Halle Bailey as Ariel in the live-action adaptation remake of ″The Little Mermaid″ [WALT DISNEY COMPANY KOREA]

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]