Is There A Credits Scene In The Little Mermaid? A Spoiler-Free Guide

I don't know about you, but I've been calling my fork a dinglehopper since 1989 when Disney's animated film "The Little Mermaid" came out. It was the beginning of a resurgence in Disney animation, and I bet you — like me — know every song. Disney's live-action version of the story about teen mermaid Ariel (Halle Bailey) is about to hit theaters, and while we know most of the story, we also know that there are new songs and that Ariel's relationship with Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) has been updated. Add in the fact that this is being released in an era where mid- and/or post-credit scenes are common, particularly for Disney-owned properties, and it might lead you to wonder if we're getting one or more of those this time around. After all, we did get a direct-to-video sequel, "The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea, and the prequel, "The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginnings," that could be teased in the live-action version. Maybe even an extra musical bit or something?

Friends, I have the spoiler-free answer for you. In addition, I recently got a chance to sit down with director/producer Rob Marshall and producer John DeLuca to ask them about their decision in that area. 

Alas, fans of tags on films, there are no mid- or post-credits scenes in the live-action "The Little Mermaid." The credits themselves are really cute, though, and I recommend you watch them. I did sit through the entire scroll to check. Despite the fact that the story finishes in a very satisfying manner and that I really didn't expect them to tack anything on for a classic film like this, we're talking about Disney. I had to assume it was a possibility. When I asked Rob Marshall and John DeLuca about the decision not to add anything, Marshall said: 

"We decided not to do that. We thought the story had been told. Sometimes that feels a little gimmicky to me, and we didn't need to play anything like that.[...] This is a four-and-a-half-year process to create this movie. So the fact that we thought, well, those credits are plenty long. Yeah. So we never actually [considered it], no."

They are long, of course, but I do try to sit through them whenever I can. Far more people work on a film than most of us think about, and it's nice to acknowledge them by sitting and appreciating their work. Still, if you have to get home to the babysitter or work early the next day, you won't be missing out on anything. 

"The Little Mermaid" will premiere in theaters on May 26, 2023.