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We know what we're watching tonight: Disney's new live action adaption of The Little Mermaid.
The Little Mermaid dropped on Disney+ on September 6 and in the past five days, the film has broken streaming records on the platform — according to Disney, the film has already been watched a staggering 16 million times.
No more ‘he loves me; he loves me not’.
The adaptation is a spin on the classic 1989 Disney animated feature. In the live action remake, Ariel (Halle Bailey) makes a deal with the sea witch Ursula (Melissa McCarthy) to trade her fish tail for a pair of legs in order to meet Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King). The only catch? She has to give up her voice. Just like the original, the live action remake tells the love story between Ariel and Eric — but unlike the animated version, the new Little Mermaid expands upon their story and even features a few new songs. Plus, the remake manages to modernise the famous mermaid for a contemporary audience — we love to see it.
This streaming record comes after a successful theatrical run in cinemas. The film made £5 million in its first weekend in the UK, per Variety. Over all, it racked up around £27 million at the box office.
The news of The Little Mermaid's streaming record also comes in the midst of a major strike in Hollywood that has seen writers and actors picketing, calling for fairer practices, including a more equal distribution of streaming profits.
If the streaming figures, The Little Mermaid is proving to be one of Disney's most popular live remakes. It's a great sign that people are more than ready to embrace more diverse casting choices in future remakes of the classics.
After all, it's high time Disney embraced diverse representation. As Halle Bailey told GLAMOUR US earlier this year, it really does matter to young children who watch the films.
Racism, anti-feminism and slavery have cast a shadow over the film since its inception, and it's exhausting. Just let us have the damn fish movie.
“When I saw [the stills from the film] for the first time, I just cried…I was sobbing uncontrollably. The fact that these babies are looking at me and feeling the emotions that they’re feeling is a really humbling, beautiful thing,” Bailey said. “I know how much [seeing Anika Noni Rose playing The Princess and the Frog] changed my whole perspective on life. Wow, this is possible. Black princesses are possible. We deserve to take up these spaces too."
Hopefully, this is a sign that the majority of people are willing to be — well — normal about it!
If you're craving more live action Disney, you're in luck. The production company has a number of classic remakes already in the works, including Moana, Hercules, Bambi, The Aristocats, Robin Hood and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Next up, there's Rachel Zegler's version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, which, once again, promises to be a modern take on the classic fairy tale — and despite some weird backlash, we honestly cannot wait.
The Little Mermaid is now streaming on Disney+.
