In a recent interview with Lin-Manuel Miranda, the multi-talented actor, writer, and director shared some exciting details on Disney’s live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid.
While speaking with TheWrap, Miranda revealed that in addition to writing songs for The Little Mermaid, Alan Menken will take on composing duties for the highly-anticipated film and even revealed that he has seen a rough cut of the film.
“Alan Menken FaceTimed me excitedly, that he saw a rough cut and he loved it. And now he’s scoring it in addition to the songs. He’s hard at work.“
Like Hans Zimmer before him with The Lion King, Alan Menken becomes the second composer to score a Disney animated film and its remake. Menken also wrote the classic songs for 1989 The Little Mermaid with the late Howard Ashman. Miranda, who co-wrote new songs with Menken on the live-action adaptation, once again revealed the classics songs will all be in this new incarnation.
“I’m at pains to tell you, replacing none of the songs you love. The songs you love are in the movie because they’re the songs I love. Everything you love in the original is there.”
Read: ‘Cruella’ Composer Nicholas Britell to Score ’Andor’
The Little Mermaid wrapped filming over the Summer and is still in the extensive post-production process. Disney has the film on schedule to hit theaters on May 26, 2023. We should expect some first look images and possibly a teaser during Disney’s D23 Expo, which is set for September 9-11, 2022.
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 cast also includes Jonah Hauer-King (A Dog’s Way Home) as Prince Eric, Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) as Ursula, Awkwafina (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) as Scuttle, and Daveed Diggs (Snowpiercer) as Sebastian. Also set to star is Emily Coates, Jude Akuwudike, Noma Dumezweni, Russell Balogh, and Adrian Christopher.
