Halle Bailey sounding angelic while performing “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” during Disney World’s 50th anniversary special on ABC.
‘Part of Your World’ from Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” performed by Halle Bailey.
The singer-actress, who plays Ariel in the upcoming live-action film, performed the song for hundreds of fans in front of Sleeping Beauty’s castle at the Disneyland Resort.
The beloved story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure, is told in “The Little Mermaid.” Ariel, the youngest and most defiant of King Triton’s daughters, longs to learn more about the world beyond the sea and, while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. While it is forbidden for mermaids to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart. She strikes a deal with the evil sea witch Ursula, which allows her to experience life on land but ultimately jeopardizes her life – and her father’s crown.
The film stars Halle Bailey (“Grown-ish”) as Ariel, Jonah Hauer-King (“A Dog’s Way Home”) as Eric, Tony Award® winner Daveed Diggs (“Hamilton”) as the voice of Sebastian, Awkwafina (“Raya and the Last Dragon”) as the voice of Scuttle, Jacob Tremblay (“Luca”) as the voice of Flounder, Noma Dumezweni (“Mary Poppins Return).
“The Little Mermaid” is directed by Oscar nominee Rob Marshall (“Chicago,” “Mary Poppins Returns”), and the screenplay is written by two-time Oscar nominee David Magee (“Life of Pi,” “Finding Neverland”).
The songs feature music by Alan Menken (“Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin”), lyrics by Howard Ashman, and new lyrics by three-time Tony Award® winner Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Miranda, two-time Emmy® winner John DeLuca (“Tony Bennett: An American Classic”), and Rob Marshall produce the film, which is executive produced by Jeffrey Silver (“The Lion King”).
The brand new soundtrack for Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” will be released on May 19th. “The Little Mermaid” will be released exclusively in theaters nationwide on May 26, 2023.
A new featurette, “A World Reimagined,” from Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” which provides an exclusive look at the live-action reimaging of the studio’s animated musical classic, is now available. “The Little Mermaid,” helmed by visionary filmmaker Rob Marshall, opens exclusively in theaters nationwide on May 26, 2023.
“The Little Mermaid” is the beloved story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. The youngest of King Triton’s daughters and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea and, while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart. She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land but ultimately places her life – and her father’s crown – in jeopardy.
The film stars singer and actress Halle Bailey (“grown-ish”) as Ariel; Jonah Hauer-King (“A Dog’s Way Home”) as Eric; Tony Award® winner Daveed Diggs (“Hamilton”) as the voice of Sebastian; Awkwafina (“Raya and the Last Dragon”) as the voice of Scuttle; Jacob Tremblay (“Luca”) as the voice of Flounder; Noma Dumezweni (“Mary Poppins Returns”) as The Queen; Art Malik (“Homeland”) as Sir Grimsby; with Oscar® winner Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men”) as King Triton; and two-time Academy Award® nominee Melissa McCarthy (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?” “Bridesmaids”) as Ursula.
“The Little Mermaid” is directed by Oscar® nominee Rob Marshall (“Chicago,” “Mary Poppins Returns”) with a screenplay by two-time Oscar nominee David Magee (“Life of Pi,” “Finding Neverland”). The songs feature music from multiple Academy Award® winner Alan Menken (“Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin”) and lyrics by Howard Ashman, and new lyrics by three-time Tony Award® winner Lin-Manuel Miranda.
The film is produced by two-time Emmy® winner Marc Platt, p.g.a., (“Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert,” “Grease Live!”), Miranda, two-time Emmy winner John DeLuca, p.g.a., (“Tony Bennett: An American Classic”), and Rob Marshall, p.g.a., with Jeffrey Silver (“The Lion King”) serving as executive producer.
The cast and filmmakers of “ZOMBIES 3” celebrated the out-of-this-world premiere of the much-anticipated movie tonight at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. The “trequel” in the hit music-driven “Zombies” franchise will premiere on July 15, only on Disney+. A special “Lost Song” version of the film will premiere on Disney Channel on August 12th.
Also in attendance were actors and their families, including Hayden Christensen (“Obi-Wan Kenobi” on Disney+), Rachel Bilson, Jensen Ackles (“The Boys”), Donald Faison (“Alice’s Wonderland Bakery”), Tiffani Thiessen, Chad Lowe, Neal McDonough, Sara Rue, and more. Disney+ talent Dara Renee, Saylor Bell, Adrian Lyles, Executive Producer Tim Federle (“High School Musical: The Musical: The Series”), Isabella Pappas, Lucy Davis (“Villains of Valley View”), Scarlett Estevez (“Ultraviolet and Black Scorpion”), and Peyton Elizabeth Lee (“Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.”) also attended to support the film.
The film stars Milo Manheim as zombie Zed and Meg Donnelly as cheerleader Addison, who are beginning their senior year at Seabrook High in the town that’s become a haven for monsters and humans alike. Zed is anticipating an athletic scholarship that will make him the first zombie to attend college, while Addison is gearing up for Seabrook’s first international cheer-off. Then suddenly, extraterrestrial beings arrive in Seabrook, provoking something other than friendly competition. The movie also stars Chandler Kinney as Willa, Ariel Martin as Wynter, Pearce Joza as Wyatt, Carla Jeffery as Bree, Trevor Tordjman as Bucky, Kylee Russell as Eliza, Terry Hu as A-spen, Matt Cornett as A-lan, Kyra Tantao as A-li, James Godfrey as Bonzo and Kingston Foster as Zoey. RuPaul Charles joins the cast as the voice of “The Mothership.”
“ZOMBIES 3” is a Disney+ original movie from Disney Branded Television, directed by Paul Hoen from a screenplay by David Light and Joseph Raso. Hoen, Light, Raso, and Suzanne Farwell are executive producers.
Watch our interviews with the cast here.
Today, Disney+ announced “The Pocketwatch” (working title), a newly greenlit music- and dance-filled original movie from Disney Branded Television, will expand the fantastic world created in “Descendants,” the global entertainment megahit franchise that introduced the teenage sons and daughters of Disney’s most iconic classic characters and infamous villains. Seven new songs and Disney classic songs will advance the story.
Lauded filmmaker Jennifer Phang (“Advantageous,” “Half-Life,” “Foundation,” “The Flight Attendant”) is set to direct and is co-executive producer of the movie which is scheduled to begin production in the fall from a script written by Dan Frey and Russell Sommer (“Magic: The Gathering”). Returning to the franchise is production designer Mark Hofeling (“Descendants,” “Zombies,” “High School Musical”). Gary Marsh is an executive producer and the casting directors are Alexis Frank Koczara and Christine Smith Shevchenko (Disney Branded Television’s upcoming “The Naughty Nine,” “The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers,” “black-ish” and “grown-ish”).
“With a captivating script and Jennifer Phang’s directorial vision, we’re setting a new high bar of creativity and imagination, with a movie that ups the ante on story, song and dance to entertain young viewers, their families, and the global fan base that grew up with the aspirational story of ‘Descendants,’ said Ayo Davis, president, Disney Branded Television. “We join them in anticipation as we prepare to deliver a great new entertainment experience to Disney+.”
Regarding directing the upcoming movie, Phang said, “’The Pocketwatch’ presents a delightful canvas with fantastical world building. Musicals sparked my imagination when I was a kid and are a huge part of what drew me to filmmaking. I think that’s because they have a way of conveying these lovely, nuanced ideas through song and expressive movement. I’m also always inspired by the diversity of families that exist all around the world. So I really jumped at the chance to craft a supercharged musical experience and explore some new, invigorating themes inside an expansive Disney universe.”
The “Descendants” movies unfurled an imaginative mythology of two new lands, idyllic Auradon and ragtag Isle of the Lost, home to the teenage progeny of Disney’s most iconic characters and notably, its most notorious villains. The bold new story of “The Pocketwatch” returns to these lands and also takes audiences through the rabbit hole to the hostile unincorporated territory of Wonderland, a magical, mysterious place made famous in “Alice in Wonderland.”
The expansive new story introduces “Red,” the whip-smart and rebellious teenage daughter of the Queen of Hearts (“Alice in Wonderland”) and “Chloe,” the perfectionist and athletic daughter of Cinderella and Prince Charming (“Cinderella”). In order to prevent an impending coup in Auradon – one that looms during the celebration of a new royal baby –, Red must join forces with Chloe to travel in back in time, via the White Rabbit’s pocket watch, to stop an event that would lead to grave consequences.
Jennifer Rogers Doyle, senior vice president, Franchise and Integrated Planning, Networks, Disney Media Entertainment and Distribution, said, “’Descendants’ ushered in a new world of stories and characters that tapped into what parents and kids love, a contemporary story with familiarity. The fan engagement and high demand for extensions of ‘Descendants’ continues because viewers have a very special relationship with the core characters and not just because they love the way they look, but because they are relevant, heroic figures, and soon, they’ll be invited to meet ‘Red’ and ‘Chloe.”
A remarkable force in youth entertainment, each premiere telecast of a “Descendants” movie ranks as the most-watched cable movie of the year (2015, 2017, 2019) among Kids 6-11 and Tweens 9-14. Disney Channel’s premiere of “Descendants 3” delivered more viewers than its 2017 predecessor — 11.2 million vs. 10.9 million Total Viewers (L+7). All three live-action movies, an animated spin-off series, “Descendants: Wicked World,” an animated special, “Descendants 2: The Royal Wedding,” and the live-action “Under the Sea: A Descendants Short Story” are available on Disney+.
Extending the storytelling, the first two movie soundtracks are certified gold and the third soundtrack was #1 on the Billboard Soundtrack chart for four weeks, #1 on the Children’s Album Chart and reached #24 on the Billboard Top 200. Music videos from the “Descendants” franchise boast 5.5 billion Vevo views, 11 billion audio and video streams and 2.7 billion TikTok views.
Nearly 7 million dolls and 9 million “Descendants” books including four New York Times Best Sellers were sold, and Halloween costumes were #1 and #2 best-selling costumes in 2015 and 2016 and among Disney’s Top 5 licensed costumes for seven consecutive years (2015-2021). In early 2020, Disney Theatrical Productions and Music Theatre International began licensing “Descendants: The Musical” for performers and audiences of all ages.
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