Disney took a huge gamble. When the studio announced the live-action remake of its 1989 crown jewel, the internet basically exploded. It wasn't just about the CGI or the new songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda; it was about the faces. The little mermaid cast 2023 became a lightning rod for cultural debate long before a single frame of footage actually hit theaters.
Halle Bailey. That's the name you heard everywhere.
People have very strong feelings about nostalgia. Some felt the casting of a Black actress for the role of Ariel was a departure from their childhood memories. Others saw it as a long-overdue evolution. Honestly, looking back at the film now that the dust has settled, the performances—not the politics—are what actually carry the weight of the story. Director Rob Marshall didn't just pick names out of a hat. He spent years scouting for a specific "voice" that could handle the insane vocal range required for "Part of Your World."
The Breakthrough of Halle Bailey as Ariel
Halle Bailey wasn't some random newcomer, but she wasn't a household name for everyone either. One half of the R&B duo Chloe x Halle, she brought a literal angelic quality to the role. Marshall famously said she was the first person they auditioned and she set a bar nobody else could touch.
She's captivating.
Her Ariel is a bit more soulful than the 2D version. She has this wide-eyed curiosity that feels genuine, not just scripted. During the filming at Pinewood Studios and on location in Sardinia, Bailey spent up to 13 hours a day in a harness. Imagine being suspended in mid-air, trying to look like you're gracefully swimming through the Atlantic while your core muscles are screaming. That’s the reality of modern filmmaking.
There was a lot of pressure. Bailey has mentioned in various interviews, including with Variety, how she leaned on her family to handle the social media noise. It’s wild to think that a movie about a mythical fish-person could generate that much heat, but that's the world we live in.
Melissa McCarthy and the Shadow of Divine
Who could possibly play Ursula? It’s arguably the best villain role in the Disney canon. Pat Carroll, who voiced the original, left some massive, tentacled shoes to fill. Melissa McCarthy was an interesting choice. Some fans wanted a drag queen to play the role, especially since the original character design was famously inspired by the legendary drag performer Divine.
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McCarthy leaned into that.
She didn't play it safe. Her Ursula is campy, loud, and genuinely threatening. She spent weeks rehearsing with a team of puppeteers who controlled her eight massive mechanical tentacles. It looked like a chaotic dance on set. She has this rasp in her voice during "Poor Unfortunate Souls" that reminds you why she's an Oscar-nominated actress. She isn't just a comedian; she's a character actor who happens to be funny.
The chemistry between her and the rest of the little mermaid cast 2023—specifically her scenes with Javier Bardem—adds a weirdly Shakespearean family dynamic that the original cartoon didn't have as much time to explore. They’re siblings who hate each other. It’s dark. It’s messy. It’s very human for a movie about magical sea creatures.
Javier Bardem and the Weight of King Triton
Javier Bardem brings a level of "serious actor" gravitas to the role of King Triton. You usually see him in intense dramas or playing terrifying villains like Anton Chigurh, so seeing him with a glowing trident was a bit of a pivot.
He’s a dad.
That’s basically his whole motivation. Bardem played Triton with a mix of overprotective fear and regal authority. He’s mentioned that he wanted to find the vulnerability in a father who is terrified of his daughter growing up and leaving home. It’s the most relatable part of the movie. Even if you don't live in an underwater palace, you get the feeling of a parent who is gripping too tight because they’re scared of loss.
The Prince and the Sea: Jonah Hauer-King
Prince Eric is often criticized for being a "cardboard cutout" in the original film. He’s just a guy with a dog who happens to be a prince. For the 2023 version, the production searched specifically for someone who could give Eric a personality.
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Enter Jonah Hauer-King.
He underwent a pretty grueling physical transformation, but more importantly, he gave Eric a backstory. In this version, Eric is also an outsider. He’s adopted. He wants to explore the world and modernize his kingdom, which mirrors Ariel’s desire to see what’s above the waves. They’re both restless. This shared "loner" energy makes their romance feel a lot more earned than just "love at first sight because she’s pretty."
Hauer-King also got his own song, "Wild Uncharted Waters." It’s a big, sweeping power ballad that lets him show off his musical theater chops.
Those CGI Sidekicks: Sebastian, Flounder, and Scuttle
This is where the movie got a little polarizing. When the first images of Flounder dropped, people were... concerned. He looked like a real fish. A very flat, very realistic fish.
- Daveed Diggs (Sebastian): The Hamilton star brought a frenetic, stressed-out energy to the crab. He didn't try to mimic Samuel E. Wright’s iconic Caribbean accent perfectly; he did his own thing. His rendition of "Under the Sea" is a massive technical achievement involving a mix of live-action reference and high-end animation.
- Awkwafina (Scuttle): In a change from the original, Scuttle is a northern gannet (a diving bird) rather than a seagull. This was done so the character could actually go underwater. Awkwafina is, well, Awkwafina. She’s loud, she raps, and she provides the comic relief that kids loved even if the "The Scuttlebutt" song divided the older audience.
- Jacob Tremblay (Flounder): The kid from Room gave Flounder a sweet, nervous voice that worked well, even if the character’s visual design was a bit jarring for those used to the chubby yellow cartoon fish.
Supporting Cast and New Faces
Noma Dumezweni played Queen Selina, a new character created for the film. Her presence added a much-needed maternal element to the palace on land. It helped ground Eric’s world and made the stakes feel higher. If the kingdom is in trouble, it’s not just a vague "government" issue; it’s his mom’s legacy.
Art Malik played Sir Grimsby. He’s the loyal confidant who usually just worries about Eric getting married. Here, he feels more like a mentor.
Then there’s the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo. Jodi Benson, the original voice of Ariel from 1989, appears during the market scene on land. She hands Ariel a fork (a dinglehopper). It was a literal passing of the torch. It’s a small moment, but for fans of the original, it was the most emotional part of the whole production.
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Behind the Scenes and Technical Realities
The movie wasn't filmed in a giant tank as much as you'd think. They used a technique called "dry-for-wet."
Basically, the actors were on rigs and wires in a blue-screen environment. They had to simulate the resistance of water with their bodies. It’s incredibly difficult. You’re trying to act out a deeply emotional scene while being spun around by a crane.
The visual effects team at MPC and Framestore had to animate the hair frame-by-frame. Hair behaves differently underwater; it floats and drifts. Getting that to look natural on Halle Bailey’s locs was a priority for the production. They wanted to maintain her natural texture while making it look like it was submerged in the ocean. The result was pretty stunning.
Why the 2023 Cast Actually Matters
Look, remakes are a dime a dozen. Disney is going to keep making them because they make billions of dollars. But the little mermaid cast 2023 represented a shift. It showed that these stories—these "fairytales"—don't belong to just one demographic.
The movie ended up grossing over $560 million worldwide. While it wasn't a Lion King level juggernaut, it was a solid hit. More importantly, the videos of young girls seeing an Ariel that looked like them for the first time went viral for a reason. Representation isn't just a buzzword; it’s a shift in how the next generation perceives what a "princess" looks like.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors
If you're looking to dive deeper into this specific era of Disney history, there are a few things you should actually check out beyond just re-watching the movie on Disney+.
- Listen to the Soundtrack Deluxe Edition: It includes the instrumental tracks. You can hear the complexity of Alan Menken’s updated score and the specific nuances of the new orchestrations.
- Watch the "Passing of the Dinglehopper" Featurette: This behind-the-scenes look at Jodi Benson’s cameo is actually quite moving and shows the respect the new production had for the original.
- Compare the Vocals: If you're a singer or a music nerd, listen to Bailey’s "Part of Your World" side-by-side with the 1989 version. The riffing and the power she puts into the final "Out of the sea..." note is a masterclass in modern vocal technique.
- Follow the Careers of the Leads: Halle Bailey is moving into major dramatic roles, and Jonah Hauer-King is becoming a staple in period dramas. Seeing where the little mermaid cast 2023 goes next is a great way to spot rising talent in Hollywood.
The legacy of this cast isn't just the movie itself, but the doors it opened for more diverse storytelling in big-budget studio films. Whether you loved the realistic Flounder or missed the 1980s hair, you can't deny the talent involved in bringing this version to life.