How To Watch The Little Mermaid At Home

Now that its theatrical release window is drawing to a close, you could say that Disney's "The Little Mermaid" live-action remake is about to become part of your world ... again. The latest studio effort to exhume its own classic animated movies and give them a new coat of VFX-driven paint proved to be a modest success with critics and audience members who turned out to see it on the big screen (you can read /Film's original review by Vanessa Armstrong here), although it's been a very different story elsewhere among worldwide box office tallies — our very own Ryan Scott broke down the numbers here. While it won't be the $1 billion smash-hit that Disney and its shareholders were likely hoping for, it's tough to imagine that these live-action remakes (though maybe "photorealistic" would be more accurate) won't continue until morale improves.

On that note, there's at least some good news to go around. Not only did "The Little Mermaid" feature a star-making turn from the immensely talented Halle Bailey, but it's also a big deal that The Powers That Be are committing to a physical release even as the film is set to arrive on PVOD streaming. Today, Disney announced the official dates for when fans can buy or rent "The Little Mermaid" online and eventually purchase the DVD and Blu-ray for themselves, marking the occasion with a new television spot featuring the film's remix of the classic song "Under the Sea."

How much has the streaming craze combined with the ongoing pandemic helped condition prospective moviegoers (and especially families) to simply stay home and wait for the next big Disney movie to arrive on their exclusive streaming service? "The Little Mermaid" could very well be the latest case study for this recent phenomenon, making its home release sales one to watch. The studio announced that fans can expect to see this newest remake, originally released in theaters back in late May of this year, made available to digital streaming retailers Apple TV, Prime Video, and Vudu/Fandango on July 25, 2023. Additionally, the physical media collectors among us can look forward to the 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD release on September 19, 2023, with the film dropping on Disney+ two weeks ahead of then on September 6, 2023. 

But in a pleasant surprise, since nothing is guaranteed in an era when studios seem to prioritize physical media collections less and less, the DVD and Blu-ray release appears packed with all sorts of bonus features. Not only will there be an official singalong version featuring on-screen lyrics included in the release, but fans will also get to watch a five-part documentary titled "Hotter Under The Water" hosted by director Rob Marshall and his star-studded cast walking fans through the making of the film.

You can check out details on all the featurettes and bonus features included in the DVD and Blu-ray release below.

• Sing Along Version – Sing along with your favorite songs while watching the movie with on-screen lyrics.

• Hotter Under The Water – Discover how director Rob Marshall and his team brought the story of "The Little Mermaid" to life with this documentary in five chapters:
  • A Tale Of The Bottomless Blue – Join Rob Marshall on the set of one of the most ambitious and challenging films he's ever directed.
  • I Know Something's Starting Right Now – Join cast members Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, Jonah Hauer-King, and more and learn how they were cast in the film and what it was like to bring director Rob Marshall's vision to life.
  • Down Where It's Wetter – Dip your toes into the virtual ocean and learn about how the breathtaking underwater world was created with visual effects, imagination and a lot of talented artists.
  • Explore That Shore Up Above – From Prince Eric's castle to the beach, explore the above-the-sea locations and the elaborate production design behind them.
  • Do What The Music Say – Discover how legendary composer Alan Menken teamed up with Lin- Manuel Miranda to write new songs to accompany the original classics

• Song Breakdowns
  • Wild Unchartered Waters – Prince Eric, played by Jonah Hauer-King, gets his own song, written by Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Go behind the song, from the writing to the recording, to the filming on a practical ship.
  • Under the Sea – Get a first-hand look at how professional dancers helped bring director Rob Marshall's vision to life as they stood in for the various animated sea creatures that sing and dance in this show-stopping number.
  • Kiss The Girl – Float along and get a frog's-eye view of the beautiful set built to film the live-action version of this classic song.
  • Poor Unfortunate Souls – Join Melissa McCarthy (Ursula) as she takes us on the journey of making her character's signature song.

• Featurettes
  • The Scuttlebutt On Sidekicks – Dive in and meet Sebastian, Flounder and Scuttle, who not only have their own song, "The Scuttlebutt," but also fresh looks as they work hard to make sure Ariel and Eric kiss before Ursula's deadline.
  • Passing The Dinglehopper – Ariel met Ariel when Halle Bailey worked with Jodi Benson — the voice of Ariel in the original animated movie — who appears in a clever cameo in the live-action film..
  • Bloopers – Laugh along with the cast as they have the time of their lives making "The Little Mermaid."