Lin-Manuel Miranda Says “Every song you love in The Animated Little Mermaid is still in The Little Mermaid”

For those buying into the rumors that some original songs from the 1989 The Little Mermaid would be cut from the upcoming live-action remake, don’t worry at all they will be there. This was revealed by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

While speaking with Collider, for press on Encanto, Miranda shared what it meant for him working with Alan Menken on an iconic project, and revealed what has already been confirmed, that characters will get new songs, but the old ones we know and love will remain:

“So much of my work on The Little Mermaid was that wish fulfillment. I actually didn’t write any new songs for Sebastian the Crab because I love his songs so much. I was like, “I can’t. Nope, not me. I can’t do it.” I did get to write for some of the other characters in that movie. Every song you love in The Little Mermaid is still in The Little Mermaid, we just found some new moments to musicalize. That’s really tricky.”

As we have heard in the past, characters expected to sing in this include Scuttle, King Triton, and yes, Prince Eric. It will be interesting to see how they revitalize classic songs for this new incarnation, but we know we are all anxiously awaiting the movie and should expect some footage at next years D23 Expo.

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Directed by Rob Marshall (Into The Woods), The Little Mermaid will feature the original music by Alan Menken (Tangled and 1989’s The Little Mermaid) in addition to four brand new songs co-written by Lin-Manuel Miranda (Encanto). The film is set to star Halle Bailey as Ariel, Jonah Hauer-King (A Dog’s Way Home) as Prince Eric, Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) as Ursula, and Javier Bardem (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales) as King Triton. Also set to star is Emily Coates, Jessica Alexander, Jude Akuwudike, Noma Dumezweni, Russell Balogh, and Adrian Christopher.

Released in 1989, Disney’s animated classic centered on a young mermaid named Ariel, who is captivated by the world upon the surface. When she falls in love with a human prince, she makes a deal with a villainous sea witch to become human, herself, and earn his love before the agreed time runs out. 

The Little Mermaid swims into theaters on May 26, 2023.